Two men charged in the murder of Tucson Police Cadet plead not guilty

For Tucson residents, Wednesday’s court hearing formally moved forward the case tied to the fatal home invasion that killed Tucson Police Cadet Carlos Ramirez and injured his pregnant fiancée. Alex James Barnett and Santiago Jorge Rogers both pleaded not guilty to charges connected to the shooting. Because not guilty is the standard response at the beginning of a criminal case, Judge Catherine Monro entered the pleas for them during the arraignment. The men are scheduled to return to court next month for a case management hearing.

Barnett and Rogers did not appear on camera during Wednesday’s hearing. Their attorneys objected to being filmed, arguing that publicity could make it harder for their clients to receive a fair trial. The arraignment was not a hearing to decide guilt or innocence. It formally notified the defendants of the allegations against them and began the next phase of the prosecution.

Ramirez, 23, was killed inside his home in southwestern Tucson during the early morning hours of Aug. 19. His fiancée, a Pima County corrections officer, was shot and hospitalized, but authorities and family members said she was expected to survive. Her unborn child was also expected to be safe. A child was in the home during the attack. Family information shared publicly said the fiancée has two other children, and another account identified her as 31 weeks pregnant.

According to an interim complaint, Ramirez noticed two masked men outside a bedroom and told his fiancée to retrieve a gun from a safe. The document says Ramirez struggled with both men before shots were fired. Investigators have said the attackers wore dark clothing and ski masks. Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators believe the suspects and victims did not know one another, and that there was no indication that money or illegal drugs were inside Ramirez’s home.

Nanos has described Barnett and Rogers as part of a suspected “rip crew,” a term for criminals who target other criminals to steal drugs or cash. The sheriff said investigators believe the group may have gone to the wrong house. That possibility has added to the shock in the area around South Enchanted Spring Drive, where neighbors described an intense law enforcement response and fear about what the shooting could mean for their community.

Rogers, 39, was arrested at a hotel near South Palo Verde Road on Aug. 22 and was initially charged with first degree murder and aggravated assault. He was ordered to have no contact with the surviving victim or Ramirez’s family and has been held without bond at the Pima County Adult Detention Complex. Court proceedings listed after his arrest included a no bond hearing and a preliminary hearing. The reports do not indicate the outcome of those hearings.

Barnett, 33, was arrested after investigators served a search warrant at an apartment complex near East Broadway Boulevard and South Camino Seco. The Pima Regional SWAT Team arrived around 6 p.m., and Barnett surrendered after a standoff lasting about three hours. Nearby apartments were evacuated as a precaution, but authorities said no one was injured. Earlier, investigators had obtained a first degree murder arrest warrant for Barnett and offered a reward of up to $2,500 through 88 CRIME for information leading to his arrest.

Investigators also released surveillance video and descriptions of a third man connected to the case. Video showed Barnett and another suspect at a Shell station on West Valencia Road shortly before the shooting. Another recording showed a man walking away near Palo Verde and 33rd Street hours afterward, apparently after the vehicle used in the crime had been abandoned in a parking lot. Authorities have contacted that man, but no arrest had been made while investigators worked to determine his role.

The shooting deeply affected Tucson’s law enforcement community. Ramirez had completed 23 weeks of training with the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Center and belonged to Tucson Police Department Basic Recruit Class 26 1. He was expected to graduate on Aug. 27, 2026. Before joining the academy, he worked as a corrections officer at the Pima County Jail. TPD Chief Monica Prieto called the killing a devastating loss and said the department was supporting Ramirez’s family, classmates, instructors and academy staff.

Residents of the Star Valley neighborhood told television reporters they were heartbroken and unsettled. Some worried the killing would make the neighborhood appear more dangerous, while others said they had offered home security footage to help detectives. One resident said deputies knocked on doors early in the morning seeking information. Another said the police presence was unusual for the area and that she now felt nervous about a child returning home late from school and work. Authorities have urged anyone with information to contact 911. Rogers and Barnett’s not guilty pleas preserve the presumption of innocence as the investigation and court case continue.