Pima County鈥檚 top prosecutor on Thursday aired out a dispute her office is having with federal authorities over access to a previously deported man accused in a deadly 蜜柚直播 crime spree. Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said in a news release that she worries Julio Aguirre 鈥 an ex-con who鈥檇 previously been deported to Mexico after a term in an 蜜柚直播 prison 鈥 will be deported again before facing a criminal trial by her office in the alleged killing of a 69-year-old man during a carjacking attempt and confrontations with several residents that shook a midtown neighborhood for hours on the morning of June 30. Aguirre was eventually captured and sent to a hospital for treatment of a bite from a police dog and other injuries. On Thursday, Conover said police planned to arrest Aguirre on suspicion of first-degree murder and other charges as soon as he was released from the hospital and book him into the Pima County jail. Instead, she says, federal agents took custody of Aguirre during overnight hours, hustled him away and are not allowing prosecutors in her office to have access to him to pursue their case against him.
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Pima County Attorney Laura Conover
Agents apprehended Aguirre overnight on July 2, taking him to a federal detention center outside in Florence, Conover said by Zoom in a press conference Thursday afternoon. 鈥淚t was abnormal. It鈥檚 not how these things work, ever,鈥 Conover said. Until last night, she said, the expectation was that federal authorities would hold Aguirre, but that he would be released to local authorities to attend hearings in his state case. 鈥淭hey were still telling us that they can have him for hearings until last night,鈥 she said. Conover noted that the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office rarely handles homicides that result from street crime like this incident, and she said she worried that all the victims of that day鈥檚 crime spree may not get justice under federal jurisdiction. 鈥淲e do homicides over here, sadly, as routine course,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he homicide experts are in this office. They are highly skilled.鈥 The US Attorney鈥檚 Office for 蜜柚直播 last week in its own news release said Aguirre faced federal charges of attempted carjacking, using a firearm in a violent crime and being an undocumented person with a firearm. He had not been charged with murder or with aggravated assault against the first alleged victims that day, whom Conover described as a 鈥渇our-generation family.鈥 Frustrated with the actions of federal authorities, Conover says her office contacted the United States Attorney鈥檚 Office on July 7, inquiring when Aguirre would be transferred back to Pima County to face charges of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Ricky Miller, Sr., as well as multiple counts of aggravated assault. Local prosecutors also told the federal office that three elderly victims in the 蜜柚直播 case should be allowed to proceed to a preliminary hearing as a way to preserve their testimony. 鈥淭hey told us we would not be allowed to have any hearings, indefinitely,鈥 Conover said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not something I can abide.鈥 Federal prosecutors could not be immediately reached Thursday to respond the Conover鈥檚 claims. Ricky Eugene Miller, Jr., whose father was killed, has also expressed his concerns regarding Aguirre鈥檚 transfer to federal custody. 鈥淚 said to the detective more than once, 鈥楧on鈥檛 you let him go the the feds. We might not see him again. He could just get deported. My dad deserves justice first,鈥 鈥 he is quoted as saying in Conover鈥檚 news release. Conover said the federal charges leveled against Aguirre will leave other victims and witnesses of the crime spree unable to get their day in court. 鈥淓xploiting grief and loss like this for political gain is appalling,鈥 Conover said of the decision by federal prosecutors to detain Aguirre rather than have him booked into the county jail to face local charges. 鈥淚t always fuels me to keep fighting.鈥 Ricky Eugene Miller, Jr. has called the federal detention 鈥渦n-American鈥. 鈥淒ad and his neighbors deserve so much better than this. Those neighbors who risked their lives to try to save him need their day in court.鈥 In the crime spree, the elder Miller was shot with a 9mm caliber handgun while sitting in his Toyota Tundra, police have said. Aguirre was subsequently linked to other crimes that morning, including a burglary attempt and an armed home intrusion, authorities have said. Police eventually found Aguirre hiding in a shed following an hours-long police operation that loosely covered the neighborhood south of Reid Park between South Country Club Road and South Alvernon Way. Aguirre was arrested over 10 times from 2007 to 2013 for immigration-related crimes, authorities have said. Aguirre was last removed from the country in 2013 after serving time in prison for drug trafficking in the Phoenix area, police have said.
Pima County鈥檚 top prosecutor on Thursday aired out a dispute her office is having with federal authorities over access to a previously deported man accused in a deadly 蜜柚直播 crime spree.
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said in a news release that she worries Julio Aguirre 鈥 an ex-con who鈥檇 previously been deported to Mexico after a term in an 蜜柚直播 prison 鈥 will be deported again before facing a criminal trial by her office in the alleged killing of a 69-year-old man during a carjacking attempt and confrontations with several residents that shook a midtown neighborhood for hours on the morning of June 30.
Aguirre was eventually captured and sent to a hospital for treatment of a bite from a police dog and other injuries.
On Thursday, Conover said police planned to arrest Aguirre on suspicion of first-degree murder and other charges as soon as he was released from the hospital and book him into the Pima County jail. Instead, she says, federal agents took custody of Aguirre during overnight hours, hustled him away and are not allowing prosecutors in her office to have access to him to pursue their case against him.

Pima County Attorney Laura Conover
Agents apprehended Aguirre overnight on July 2, taking him to a federal detention center outside in Florence, Conover said by Zoom in a press conference Thursday afternoon.
鈥淚t was abnormal. It鈥檚 not how these things work, ever,鈥 Conover said.
Until last night, she said, the expectation was that federal authorities would hold Aguirre, but that he would be released to local authorities to attend hearings in his state case.
鈥淭hey were still telling us that they can have him for hearings until last night,鈥 she said.
Conover noted that the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office rarely handles homicides that result from street crime like this incident, and she said she worried that all the victims of that day鈥檚 crime spree may not get justice under federal jurisdiction.
鈥淲e do homicides over here, sadly, as routine course,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he homicide experts are in this office. They are highly skilled.鈥
The US Attorney鈥檚 Office for 蜜柚直播 last week in its own news release said Aguirre faced federal charges of attempted carjacking, using a firearm in a violent crime and being an undocumented person with a firearm. He had not been charged with murder or with aggravated assault against the first alleged victims that day, whom Conover described as a 鈥渇our-generation family.鈥
Frustrated with the actions of federal authorities, Conover says her office contacted the United States Attorney鈥檚 Office on July 7, inquiring when Aguirre would be transferred back to Pima County to face charges of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Ricky Miller, Sr., as well as multiple counts of aggravated assault.
Local prosecutors also told the federal office that three elderly victims in the 蜜柚直播 case should be allowed to proceed to a preliminary hearing as a way to preserve their testimony.
鈥淭hey told us we would not be allowed to have any hearings, indefinitely,鈥 Conover said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not something I can abide.鈥
Federal prosecutors could not be immediately reached Thursday to respond the Conover鈥檚 claims.
Ricky Eugene Miller, Jr., whose father was killed, has also expressed his concerns regarding Aguirre鈥檚 transfer to federal custody.
鈥淚 said to the detective more than once, 鈥楧on鈥檛 you let him go the the feds. We might not see him again. He could just get deported. My dad deserves justice first,鈥 鈥 he is quoted as saying in Conover鈥檚 news release.
Conover said the federal charges leveled against Aguirre will leave other victims and witnesses of the crime spree unable to get their day in court.
鈥淓xploiting grief and loss like this for political gain is appalling,鈥 Conover said of the decision by federal prosecutors to detain Aguirre rather than have him booked into the county jail to face local charges. 鈥淚t always fuels me to keep fighting.鈥
Ricky Eugene Miller, Jr. has called the federal detention 鈥渦n-American鈥.
鈥淒ad and his neighbors deserve so much better than this. Those neighbors who risked their lives to try to save him need their day in court.鈥
In the crime spree, the elder Miller was shot with a 9mm caliber handgun while sitting in his Toyota Tundra, police have said.
Aguirre was subsequently linked to other crimes that morning, including a burglary attempt and an armed home intrusion, authorities have said.
Police eventually found Aguirre hiding in a shed following an hours-long police operation that loosely covered the neighborhood south of Reid Park between South Country Club Road and South Alvernon Way.
Aguirre was arrested over 10 times from 2007 to 2013 for immigration-related crimes, authorities have said.
Aguirre was last removed from the country in 2013 after serving time in prison for drug trafficking in the Phoenix area, police have said.