Police say the suspect waited near Sandra Fernandez Rodriguez’s workplace before the fatal shooting.
TUSTIN, CA — A 42-year-old Anaheim mother shot and killed near her workplace in Tustin has been identified as Sandra Fernandez Rodriguez, and police say her former boyfriend was arrested after fleeing across the U.S.-Mexico border.
The case moved quickly from a public shooting investigation to a murder arrest over the weekend. Tustin police said Juan Marquez, 47, of Hawthorne, was booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of murder and was being held without bail. Officials said the shooting appeared to be isolated, but relatives said they are still searching for answers about why Fernandez Rodriguez was killed.
Officers were called about 6:11 p.m. Thursday, May 14, after multiple reports of gunfire near Yorba Street and Medford Avenue, close to 17th Street. When officers arrived, they found Fernandez Rodriguez unresponsive near the east curb and close to a parked vehicle. She had suffered fatal gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses told officers they saw a man leave the area after the shooting, possibly wearing dark clothing and driving away in a dark older-model sedan. Police later said detectives identified Marquez as the suspect and obtained an arrest warrant. Family members said Fernandez Rodriguez had recently started working at the nonprofit Families Together and was shot after leaving work.
Investigators said Marquez was a former boyfriend of Fernandez Rodriguez and had waited near her workplace before the shooting. Police said he fled after the killing and crossed into Mexico through the San Ysidro Port of Entry. On Saturday afternoon, May 16, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detained him as he returned to the United States through the same border checkpoint. Tustin detectives then took custody of Marquez and booked him into jail. Police have not released a detailed motive, and relatives said they did not know why anyone would target Fernandez Rodriguez. Melitza Uribe, her niece, said the family is left with painful questions. “We don’t know the motive. We don’t know why,” Uribe said.
Fernandez Rodriguez lived in Anaheim and was remembered by relatives as a devoted mother whose children were central to her life. Family members described her as a mother of three, including two younger children and an adult child. Her oldest child turned 22 the day after the killing, and her youngest is 5. Relatives and friends said she had started a new job and was trying to build stability for her family. Her killing drew mourners to the Tustin street where she died, leaving flowers and messages near the area where police had marked evidence. Chris Walker, who stopped at the memorial, said he wanted to honor the family’s loss. “For the family, I just wanted to acknowledge and honor them,” Walker said.
The shooting stunned workers and neighbors near the business area, where offices, clinics and traffic from nearby 17th Street make the intersection busy in the early evening. Families Together spokesperson Cassandra Rossel said the killing shocked the organization. “This is extremely shocking to us,” Rossel said. Police initially said investigators believed there was no continuing threat to the public, a finding that later matched their statement that the case involved a former relationship. Still, the public nature of the shooting added alarm for people who work nearby. Officers spent hours at the scene Thursday night as they gathered witness statements, reviewed the area and searched for evidence tied to the gunfire.
Marquez now faces the next steps in Orange County’s criminal court process. Police said he was arrested on a murder warrant, but prosecutors will decide what formal charges to file and whether to add any special allegations. Authorities have not announced an arraignment date. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office typically reviews police reports, witness statements and evidence before filing a criminal complaint. Investigators are also expected to keep reviewing surveillance video, phone records, witness accounts and the suspect’s movements before and after the shooting. Police have not said whether a firearm was recovered. They also have not said whether Fernandez Rodriguez had reported any prior threats involving Marquez.
Relatives described Fernandez Rodriguez as warm, helpful and full of energy. Uribe said her aunt’s presence was easy to feel in any room and hard to lose in such a sudden way. “There’s so much you can see from the outside,” Uribe said. “The happiness, the helping hands, the always being there, being a great mother.” Uribe said the arrest brought some relief, but not closure. Asked what she would say to Marquez, she said she had no message for him. “Only God knows what he deserves,” Uribe said. “He can take care of that. My heart is going to show no hatred.”
Marquez remained in Orange County Jail without bail Monday as detectives continued the homicide investigation. The next major step is expected to come from prosecutors, who will decide the formal charges tied to the May 14 killing.
Author note: Last updated May 18, 2026.