Julio Cesar Aguirre, a 42-year-old Mexican national, has been charged following the death of an attempted carjacking victim in Tucson, Arizona. The charges against Aguirre include Attempted Carjacking, Use and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Alien in Possession of a Firearm. He appeared in federal court on July 2.
The criminal complaint states that Aguirre allegedly shot and killed a male driver with a 9mm handgun while trying to steal the victim's Toyota Tundra on June 30. Tucson Police Department (TPD) officers responded to the scene after reports of the incident.
Witnesses directed TPD officers to a nearby residence where they learned from residents that a Hispanic male with a bleeding arm had entered their backyard. This individual, matching Aguirre’s description, reportedly threatened them with a gun and demanded their vehicle before fleeing.
Aguirre was later found by TPD officers hiding in a storage shed nearby. A Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol was discovered within his reach. He was taken into custody without further incident.
Records show that Aguirre is illegally present in the United States and has been arrested over ten times for immigration-related offenses between 2007 and 2013. He was last deported from the U.S. in 2013 following a court order.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. The operation involves collaboration between various task forces including Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The investigation is being conducted by TPD along with the FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona in Tucson is prosecuting federal charges against Aguirre. Additionally, TPD and the Pima County Attorney’s Office are conducting parallel investigations into potential state felony charges such as homicide.
It should be noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
