Inside a Pima County arrest warrant sweep as deputies work to locate people with outstanding warrants

People in Pima County with unresolved domestic violence cases are being reminded that an old warrant does not disappear, even if they have moved, changed jobs or avoided contact with law enforcement. During a recent countywide operation, detectives and deputies visited more than 100 locations, sometimes making arrests and sometimes leaving with only a new address or phone number. For victims, officials said, the effort is intended to show that their cases remain active and that law enforcement continues to pursue people accused of harming them.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department organized the two day sweep with help from Pima County Adult Probation, the Tucson Police Department, the Pima County Attorney’s Office, University of Arizona Police Department, and police departments in Sahuarita, Marana and South Tucson. The operation focused on outstanding domestic violence warrants, including cases that had remained unresolved for years. The sheriff’s department said more than 500 domestic violence related warrants are currently active in Pima County, while officials involved in the broader effort estimated the total could be as high as 1,200.

The sheriff’s department narrowed its primary list for the operation to 126 warrants issued within the previous five years. The cases required months of preparation, detectives said, because addresses and other information often are no longer current. People sought by investigators may have moved, changed workplaces or stopped using a telephone number. Detective Ray Morales, who works with the department’s domestic violence task force, said teams review possible locations and plan multiple ways to make contact before knocking on doors.

Detectives worked in teams across the county, with one account describing four groups of about six people each and another reporting that 26 detectives took part, including 21 sheriff’s department investigators and five adult probation officers. Their work involved hours of driving, checking addresses and following leads. At some homes, no one answered. In other cases, relatives told investigators that the person named in the warrant was not there or offered information about another place where that person might be staying.

A missed door does not necessarily end an investigation. Detectives may check other addresses connected to a person, call possible phone numbers and speak with family members. They can also leave a letter at a residence before moving on. Investigators said relatives can be difficult to assess because they may be protective of the person being sought, angry with that person or uncertain about what information to share. Even when no arrest is made, officials said, a conversation can produce a new lead that helps locate someone later.

The operation did result in arrests. KGUN reported 14 arrests, including 13 misdemeanor cases and one felony case, during the two day effort. One of those arrested was 36 year old Jonathan Galioto Cruz, who was taken into custody on a domestic violence assault warrant. Another report described a person arrested at a construction site on a case dating to 2019. A judge was available during the operation, which helped address the warrant without automatically requiring the person to remain in jail, although prosecutors still encouraged people to resolve warrants proactively.

A separate accounting described the enforcement effort as involving five days of work by five teams, with 26 arrests tied to 39 misdemeanor charges and one felony. That felony warrant was expected to lead to extradition to North Carolina for an alleged parole violation connected to a weapons misconduct charge. The differing figures reflect different descriptions of the operation’s duration, teams and case totals, but all accounts emphasized that the work extended beyond simply knocking on a set number of doors. Each contact could help investigators locate someone or bring a case back before a judge.

Officials said the ultimate goal is to get defendants back into court, where a judge can determine the next step, while also protecting people who reported domestic violence. Detective Michael Buglewicz said investigators are trying to reassure victims that they matter and that law enforcement has not abandoned their cases. Tucson Police Sgt. Alon Hackett said resolving warrants can improve safety across city and county boundaries because people who live in one jurisdiction may be accused of offenses elsewhere.

The sheriff’s department generally conducts larger warrant operations about once a year, working with other agencies when additional personnel or jurisdictional information is needed. Safety remains a concern during every visit because deputies do not know how a person will respond when confronted at home or at work. People with outstanding domestic violence warrants may also voluntarily report to Pima County Justice Court on Oct. 16, 2026, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. For those who do not come forward, investigators said the search will continue, even when the first knock produces no answer.