Ex-Boyfriend Accused of Killing Mom of 3 Outside Workplace Arrested After Fleeing Across Border

A California man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend outside her new workplace was arrested after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, authorities said. Juan Marquez, 47, is facing murder charge in the death of Sandra Fernandez, 42.

Fernandez was a mother of three who had recently started a new job in Tustin, outside Anaheim, in Southern California.

Police said Fernandez was shot shortly after 6 p.m on May 14, near Yorba Street and Medford Avenue, as she walked to her car after a training session at work. When officers arrived, they found her unresponsive on a curb with multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

The killing shocked co-workers who said Fernandez had quickly become part of the team despite being there less than a month.

“Even though it was just under a month, she already was making good relationships and having a great impact, so this is really a tragedy,” co-worker Cassie Rossel said.

Witnesses told investigators they saw a man dressed in black, who ran from the area and drove away in a dark coloured older-model sedan

Detectives later identified Marquez as the suspect. According to officials, he had “laid in wait near Sandra’s workplace” before ambushing her outside.

As detectives worked to identify the suspect, investigators learned he had crossed into Mexico through the San Ysidro Port of Entry after the shooting.

Police later identified Marquez as the suspected killer and obtained a murder warrant on May 16. Federal border agents arrested him when he returned to the United States. He is now being held without bond in Orange County Jail.

Authorities have not said what led to the shooting. Investigators also have not disclosed how long the couple had been separated before the attack. No future court hearing had been announced as of May 18, and the case remains under investigation.

A GoFundMe page created by relatives said Fernandez is survived by two younger children, ages 5 and 14, and an adult son attending college.

The fundraiser described a family overwhelmed by grief after the sudden killing.

“No one deserves to leave their family, the way she went,” the page read. “Words won’t describe what our family is feeling and going through right now.”

Friends and co-workers said Fernandez had been optimistic about her future and excited about her new job.

Her death has added to growing concerns about violence against former partners. Investigators have not said whether Fernandez had previously reported threats or problems involving the suspect before the shooting.