Hawthorne Man Arrested at Border Checkpoint for Homicide of Former Girlfriend in Tustin
TRUSTIN, CA – The Tustin Police Department arrested a 47-year-old Hawthorne resident on Saturday, May 16, 2026, in connection with the fatal shooting of a woman two days prior.
The incident occurred on Thursday, May 14, 2026, when Tustin Police Department officers responded to reports of a shooting at the intersection of Yorba Street and Medford Avenue. Upon arrival at the scene, officers located the victim, identified as 42-year-old Sandra Fernandez of Anaheim. Fernandez had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
According to the subsequent investigation, the suspect, Juan Marquez, was a former boyfriend of Fernandez. Investigators determined that Marquez had positioned himself near Fernandez’s workplace prior to the shooting.
Courtesy of Tustin Police Department
Tustin Police Department detectives identified Marquez’s involvement in the incident and learned that he had fled across the United States-Mexico border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry following the homicide.
An arrest warrant was obtained by investigators. On the afternoon of May 16, personnel from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained Marquez at the border checkpoint as he attempted to re-enter the United States.
Tustin Police detectives took custody of Marquez and transported him to the Orange County Jail, where he was booked on a charge of murder. He is currently being held without bail.
