LA County Man Flees After Killing Ex-Girlfriend

Tustin police said a Hawthorne man accused of fatally shooting his former girlfriend near her workplace in Orange County fled to Mexico after the killing and was arrested when he tried to return to the United States. Investigators identified the suspect as Juan Marquez, 47, and the victim as Sandra Fernandez, 42, of Anaheim. Officers responded at about 6:11 p.m. on May 14 to reports of gunfire near Yorba Street and Medford Avenue in Tustin and found Fernandez dead at the scene, according to police. Marquez was detained on May 16 at the U.S.-Mexico border and then booked into the Orange County Jail on a murder charge, police and local media reported. ### Where did the shooting happen, and what have police said about it? The intersection of Yorba Street and Medford Avenue in Tustin is where officers were sent after multiple 911 callers reported gunshots on Thursday evening, police said. Fernandez was found behind a small white SUV with fatal gunshot wounds, according to ABC7 and CBS Los Angeles, which cited the Tustin Police Department. (abc7.com) Tustin police said the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident and that there was no ongoing threat to the public. NBC Los Angeles reported that investigators said Marquez had waited near Fernandez’s workplace before the attack. (abc7.com) ### Who were the victim and the suspect? Sandra Fernandez was identified by police as a 42-year-old Anaheim resident. ABC7 reported, citing her family, that she was a mother of three, while CBS Los Angeles described relatives mourning her and speaking publicly hours after the arrest. (abc7.com) Juan Marquez was identified by police as a Hawthorne resident and a former boyfriend of Fernandez. News reports citing Tustin police listed his age as 47, though CBS Los Angeles’ story also referred to him as 42 in parts of its report. Police said Marquez is being held without bail in the Orange County Jail. (abc7.com) ### How did investigators say he got to Mexico? The San Ysidro Port of Entry is where Marquez crossed into Mexico after the shooting, according to police accounts cited by ABC7 and CBS Los Angeles. Detectives later identified him as the suspect and obtained an arrest warrant, ABC7 reported. (abc7.com) U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detained Marquez on Saturday afternoon as he attempted to re-enter the United States through the same border crossing, ABC7 reported. Tustin police detectives then took him into custody. (abc7.com) ### What has the family said since the arrest? Fernandez’s relatives spoke to CBS Los Angeles on May 17, hours after Marquez was taken into custody. Her niece, Melitza Uribe, remembered her as “a great mother” and said the family still had unanswered questions as funeral plans began. ABC7 reported that the family set up a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses. (abc7.com) The station said relatives described Fernandez as a mother whose death left children and family members grieving. (cbsnews.com) ### What happens next in the case? Orange County Jail records cited by local outlets show Marquez was booked on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail. Tustin police said the case remains under investigation. (abc7.com) The next public steps are likely to come through a court filing or an announcement from prosecutors in Orange County. Tustin police have not publicly released additional details about motive beyond identifying Marquez as Fernandez’s former boyfriend and describing the shooting as an isolated incident. (abc7.com)