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 Tuesday.
Barnett, 33, faces charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery and aggravated assault, a Pima County Superior Court spokesperson said. He was arrested Monday night by a Pima Regional SWAT team when he surrendered after a three-hour standoff and negotiations at an apartment complex in the area of Camino Seco and Broadway on Tucson's east side, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said.
A judge ordered him held without bond pending an Aug. 31 bond hearing. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Sept. 1.
Alex James Barnett, 33, shown at a court hearing Tuesday, was held without bond after he was arrested Monday night in connection with the fatal shooting of a Tucson police recruit and now faces first-degree murder charges.
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. He was shot inside his home south of Camino Verde and Valencia Road before 6 a.m. Aug. 19.
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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 show.
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.
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. Rogers was being held without bond, court records showed.
Investigators identified a third suspect whose involvement remains under investigation.
No potential motive for the shooting has been given.
