Aaron Laronn Charles Benjamin, 32, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on October 24, 2024, after pleading guilty to charges of Aggravated Robbery, two counts of Tampering with Physical Evidence, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. Due to an affirmative finding that he used a deadly weapon, Benjamin must serve at least half his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. Chief Felony Prosecutor Sammy McCrary handled the case on behalf of the State of Texas.
The charges stemmed from a September 3, 2023, incident at the New Braunfels residence of an off-duty police officer. According to reports, the officer exited his home to retrieve an item from his vehicle and found Benjamin rummaging through his marked patrol car. When the officer identified himself, Benjamin allegedly claimed to have a gun, reaching toward his waistband, prompting the officer to engage him in a physical struggle to prevent access to the weapon.
The encounter escalated as the two men fought in the officer’s driveway. During the struggle, Benjamin reportedly continued to threaten to shoot the officer, who felt an object press against his ribs. A firearm magazine was dislodged and dropped to the ground during the altercation. Benjamin headbutted the officer, causing a deep laceration around his right eye, before managing to break free and flee in his vehicle. Despite his injuries, the officer quickly wrote down Benjamin’s license plate number on his patrol vehicle using his own blood to ensure crucial evidence was preserved.
Later that evening, officers conducted a high-risk stop on Benjamin’s vehicle but found only his girlfriend inside. The vehicle search turned up no firearms or other stolen items from the patrol vehicle. After obtaining information on Benjamin’s whereabouts from his girlfriend, officers located him at her apartment and took him into custody. Evidence, including a holster, handcuffs, a rifle sling, and blood-stained clothing, was recovered from a nearby dumpster at the apartment complex.
Throughout the investigation, detectives examined jail phone calls between Benjamin and his girlfriend. These recordings indicated that Benjamin had given her coded instructions to hide the stolen firearms, which detectives believe she placed in a secured "fire riser" room within the apartment complex to prevent law enforcement from finding them. Although Benjamin instructed her during a police interview to turn in the firearms, she failed to do so and denied having them, leading to a warrant for her arrest for evidence tampering.
On September 7, 2023, Benjamin ultimately admitted to the robbery, attributing his actions to a struggle with drug addiction. He described a routine of stealing tools from vehicles to fund his habit, and confirmed that he directed his girlfriend to move the firearms following the robbery. His violent criminal history includes two prior felony robbery convictions in Louisiana, for which he served an eight-year prison term.
The court’s decision to issue a 30-year sentence reflects the severity of the crime and aims to ensure the safety of the community and the officer who, as McCrary noted, was victimized in his own home.
