A third person has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Tucson police recruit Carlos Ramirez and the wounding of his fiancée in Arizona.
Alexis Monter, 30, was detained on 30 August while attempting to re-enter the United States through the Douglas Port of Entry on the Mexican border, US Customs and Border Protection said.
During routine checks, officers found an active National Crime Information Centre warrant linked to the shooting. The warrant described Monter as potentially armed and dangerous and referred to an alleged history of violence and substance abuse.
Douglas police were called to the crossing and took him into custody. Monter is being treated as a person of interest in the homicide investigation rather than formally charged in the killing.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said he was believed to be the last registered owner of a grey Acura MDX thought to have been involved in the shooting.
Third arrest in Carlos Ramirez shooting investigation
Ramirez, 23, was found dead inside his home in Tucson on 19 August. His 23-year-old fiancée, a Pima County Sheriff’s Department corrections officer, was also shot and taken to hospital. Her injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Ramirez had previously worked as a corrections officer and was days away from completing his training to join the Tucson Police Department.
Alex James Barnett, 33, and Santiago Jorge Rogers, 39, had already been arrested in connection with the case. Rogers was detained after a warrant operation at a Tucson hotel, while Barnett surrendered following a three-hour standoff at an apartment complex in Tucson.
Both men face allegations including first-degree murder and armed robbery. Barnett was arrested five days after the shooting, following a Blue Alert issued by law enforcement.
Investigators have not disclosed a formal motive. However, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told the Arizona Daily Star that detectives believed the victims’ home may have been targeted by mistake during an attempted drug-related robbery.
The sheriff’s department said the investigation remains ongoing.
