ALAMOSA — The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Alamosa County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) announce the arrest of Fernando Rodriguez, 44, of Alamosa, in connection with the fatal shooting of Alamosa resident Ryan Barnes, 49, on March 1, 2026.

According to Alamosa County Sheriff Department Lt. William Squires, on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 18, Rodriguez was apprehended in Albany County, Wyoming, a sparsely populated county located in southeastern Wyoming, not far from the Colorado border. Squires told the Valley Courier that Rodriguez was taken into custody following a standoff.

Rodriguez has been charged with Second Degree Murder, a class 3 felony; Felony Menacing, a class 5 felony; Motor Vehicle Theft, a class 2 felony, and Possession of a Weapon by a Previous Offender, a class 5 felony.

The arrest was made after deputies with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a suspicious circumstance in the Sybille Canyon area, where homeowners returning to their seasonal property found a vehicle that did not belong to them.

The vehicle was identified as a stolen green 1995 Subaru Station Wagon, which was associated with Rodriguez and an active warrant for second-degree homicide.

Deputies established a perimeter and activated the Albany County Joint Special Response Team (SRT). After a standoff, Rodriguez was taken into custody without further incident or injury to the public or responding personnel.

Rodriguez is currently being held in the Albany County Jail in Wyoming awaiting the extradition process to be returned to Colorado, which was expected to take place on Friday, March 20.

The initial homicide investigation began on Sunday, March 1, 2026, when Alamosa County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a residence in the 3000 block of Lincoln Ave. at approximately 6:20 p.m..

As was made previously made public, at approximately 6:20 p.m., Alamosa County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence in the 3000 block of Lincoln Ave. after receiving a report of a 49-year old male who was unconscious and not breathing.

Upon arriving and entering the residence, deputies located Barnes, who was deceased with visible injuries.  A female reporting party was also located and interviewed at the scene.

Ryan Barnes’ identify was subsequently released to the public on Tuesday morning, following identification and notice of the next of kin by Alamosa County Coroner Joe Dzuris.

As of Friday morning, Rodriguez did not yet appear on the court docket.

The Alamosa County Sheriff's Office and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation would like to thank the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, Laramie Police Department, Laramie Fire/EMS, Albany County Central Volunteer Fire Department, LifeLine, Albany County Joint SRT, the Division of Criminal Investigation, and Laramie/Albany County Records and Communications for their critical assistance in the safe apprehension of the suspect.

The investigation remains active. All suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise in a court of law.