Alex James Barnett, who authorities said was on the run for several days after the fatal shooting of Tucson police recruit Carlos Ramirez, made his first court appearance on Aug. 25.
Barnett, 33, faces charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery and aggravated assault, a Pima County Superior Court spokesperson said. He was arrested Aug. 24 by a Pima Regional SWAT team after a three-hour standoff at a Tucson apartment complex, according to a news release from the Pima County Sheriff's Department.
A judge ordered him held without bond pending an Aug. 31 bond hearing. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Sept. 1.
3-hour standoff leads to surrender
Pima County's fugitive investigations unit was following up on leads that led them to the apartment complex, the Sheriff's Department
said.
Investigators were told Barnett was inside one of the apartments. Just after 6 p.m., a SWAT team was deployed, according to the department.
Barnett was armed during the three-hour standoff as law enforcement negotiated with him. Some people within the building were evacuated as a precaution, Sheriff's Department spokesperson Kevin Adger said during a press briefing at the scene.
About 8 p.m. Aug. 24, the Sheriff's Department had posted an advisory on social media warning community members to stay away from the area where the complex was located.
Barnett surrendered and was taken into custody without incident, the department said.
Tucson police recruit killed
Ramirez, 23, lived with his fiancée and had two young children, with one on the way, according to an Erik Hite Foundation fundraiser for the family.
Sheriff's deputies responded to a shooting inside the home south of Camino Verde and Valencia Road before 6 a.m. Aug. 19.
Ramirez was pronounced dead at the scene. His fiancée was hospitalized in stable condition with injuries that were not life-threatening, the Sheriff's Department said. She was shot in her left shoulder, court documents revealed.
Ramirez had completed 23 weeks of training at the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Center and was days away from graduating from the police academy, Tucson Police Officer Frank Magos said in a department statement. Ramirez previously worked as a corrections officer for the Sheriff's Department.
Records link Barnett to 'random and dangerous' crime
Phone records showed Barnett near Ramirez's home in the hours before the shooting and near where a vehicle was recovered after the incident, court documents said. Barnett lived about 1.5 miles away, according to court documents.
A neighbor’s surveillance video showed the vehicle previously identified as being used in the shooting parked near the home sometime around 4 a.m., according to court documents.
A second man was arrested on Aug. 22 in connection with the shooting. Santiago Jorge Rogers, 39, was taken into custody at a Tucson hotel by the Pima Regional SWAT Team and the Pima County Sheriff's Department Fugitive Investigations Unit, with assistance from the FBI. Rogers was being held without bond, court records showed.
Investigators identified a third suspect whose involvement remains under investigation.
There was no known motive for the shooting. Investigators described the crime as "random and dangerous," court documents said.
The investigation remained active and ongoing, according to the Sheriff's Department.
Have a news tip? Contact The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com at newstips@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: After standoff, Tucson recruit killing suspect makes court appearance
