Authorities say a man was found dead early Tuesday morning in the 600 block of South Stone Avenue near West 17th Street, and his brother was later arrested and charged in the killing.
According to a Tucson Police Department news release, Tucson Fire Department personnel responded to a “man-down” call at about 5:30 a.m. on June 8 and discovered an adult male with signs of trauma. Detectives from the department’s Homicide Unit identified the victim as 37-year-old Martin Joe Rosales and notified next of kin.
Investigators determined a possible suspect had been involved in a physical altercation with the victim and passed that information to officers with the Westside Community Response Team. Later the same day, officers located and detained 35-year-old Gabriel Joseph Rosales at a motel in South Tucson. After an interview with detectives, Gabriel Rosales — identified as the victim’s brother — was arrested and booked into the Pima County Adult Detention Complex on a charge of second-degree murder. He is being held on $1,000,000 bond.
The Tucson Police Department’s release noted that the homicide count for the year stands at 17, compared with 27 for all of 2025. The department also reminded the public that arrested individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
