Police said the attack appeared isolated as detectives searched for a dark sedan.
TUSTIN, Calif. — Detectives in Orange County were searching Friday for a man seen fleeing after Sandra Rodriguez, 42, was fatally shot near her car in a Tustin neighborhood Thursday evening, police said.
The shooting was reported about 6:11 p.m. near Seventeenth Street and Yorba Street North, an area with traffic, homes and nearby businesses. Officers found Rodriguez unresponsive on the east curb north of Seventeenth Street. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the case appeared to be isolated, but they had not announced an arrest or named a suspect.
Family members said Rodriguez had recently started a job at Families Together, a nonprofit health care provider. They said she parked away from the work site and was near her car when she was shot. CBS News Los Angeles described Rodriguez as a mother of two. Other local reporting citing her family described her as a single mother of three. Police had not publicly clarified the number of children by Friday.
Witnesses reported hearing gunfire before officers arrived. Investigators were told a man left the area in a sedan after the shooting. Police said he may have worn dark clothing and may have driven a dark-colored Honda. Officials had not released his age, name or license plate information, and the motive remained unknown.
Rodriguez’s death brought mourners to the neighborhood as family members tried to understand why she was targeted. Chris Walker, who came to the scene, said he wanted to support the family in a moment of shock. Families Together spokesperson Cassandra Rossel said the organization was shaken by the killing, calling it “extremely shocking.”
The Tustin Police Department said investigators continued working the case Friday afternoon. No additional public briefing had been announced, and detectives had not said whether they recovered video, located the sedan or determined whether Rodriguez knew the shooter.
Author note: Last updated May 17, 2026.