Court records say investigators found no known connection between Carlos Ramirez, his fiancée and the two men now charged in the case.
TUCSON, Ariz. — Investigators examining the fatal shooting of Tucson police recruit Carlos Ramirez say they have found no known connection between the victims and two men charged in the case, while the Pima County sheriff says authorities believe the attackers may have targeted the wrong home.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Tuesday that investigators believe the Aug. 19 home invasion may have been a robbery connected to drugs but that Ramirez and his fiancée were not the intended targets. The sheriff’s statement represents the department’s current investigative theory and has not been established as fact in court. Interim court records also describe the attack as random and say no connection had been established between the victims and the two defendants.
Ramirez, 23, was found shot to death at his home in the 7700 block of South Enchanted Spring Drive shortly before 6 a.m. His 23-year-old fiancée, who works as a Pima County corrections officer, was shot and survived. Ramirez was a Tucson Police Department recruit who had completed 23 weeks of academy training and was scheduled to graduate Aug. 27.
An interim court complaint provides a timeline of the minutes surrounding the attack. Ramirez’s fiancée told investigators that she heard banging outside their bedroom before Ramirez came into the room and warned her that two masked men were inside the house. She described the intruders as wearing dark clothing and face coverings. The complaint says Ramirez fought with the men before he was shot.
Investigators later gathered surveillance footage from the area. Court records say an Acura SUV linked to the case had been seen near the home before the shooting and was recorded leaving afterward. Additional surveillance footage showed Alex James Barnett, 33, and Santiago Jorge Rogers, 39, at a gas station on West Valencia Road before the attack. Transaction records cited in court filings say hats and dark gloves were purchased there.
Authorities later found the Acura in another part of Tucson. Surveillance footage also showed a third man with the vehicle after the shooting, according to the sheriff’s department. That man has since been located and interviewed. He has not been publicly identified or arrested, and investigators have said they are continuing to determine whether he was involved in the homicide.
Rogers was arrested Aug. 22 at a Tucson hotel and faces charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery and aggravated assault. Barnett was arrested Aug. 24 after a three-hour standoff at an apartment complex near Broadway Boulevard and Camino Seco. He surrendered to a regional SWAT team and faces the same three charges. Judges ordered both men held without bond.
The investigation has drawn additional attention because unsupported claims about the victims circulated online during the search for Barnett. Nanos rejected allegations attempting to link Ramirez or his fiancée to the suspects or to criminal activity. Court records available in the case likewise state that investigators had identified no known relationship between either victim and Barnett or Rogers.
Ramirez had worked as a Pima County corrections officer before entering the Tucson police academy. Tucson police said after his death that he was a member of Basic Recruit Class 26-1 and that his death affected his classmates, instructors and academy staff. His fiancée was recovering after the shooting, authorities said.
The exact motive and intended target remain matters under investigation, and prosecutors would have to prove the charges against Barnett and Rogers in court. Barnett was scheduled for a no-bond hearing Aug. 31 and a preliminary hearing Sept. 1. The sheriff’s department continued to investigate the unidentified third man’s possible role.
Author note: Last updated August 26, 2026.