Ex-Wife Of Victim In Tulsa's Latest Homicide 'In Shock'

The past 36 hours have been heart-wrenching for Maria Rubalcaba after she woke up to news that someone shot the father of her two children to death in a Tulsa parking lot.

"I was surprised,” she said. “I was in shock."

Police say Jose Cordova pulled into a lot just before 3 a.m. Sunday. As he got out of his car, officers say, someone tried to rob him. They say Cordova fought back and the robbers shot and killed him.

"I never imagined something like that would happen,” said Rubalcaba.

"Not only did he kill him, he came back after Mr. Cordova is lying dead on the parking lot and rifled his pockets,” said Homicide Sergeant Dave Walker. “If that doesn't make people angry, I don't know what will."

Rubalcaba and Cordova dated for 13 years and have two children together.

Since they separated, Rubalcaba says, they didn't talk much, but his relationship with their kids never changed.

"It's so difficult,” said Rubalcaba. “I am scared my children will fall into a depression."

Police say Cordova was a construction worker who had lived in Tulsa more than a decade and had no criminal history.

Related Story: Deadly Shooting Marks Tulsa's 76th Homicide Of 2017

Investigators are still trying to piece together what happened the night of Cordova's murder. They say if the shooting was random, the shooter might be targeting the Hispanic community.

"Some Hispanic people will not contact law enforcement,” said Sergeant Walker. “I think working people on a Saturday night should be able to go to Don Francisco's and eat tacos and be free of getting killed."

If you have any information, call 918-596-COPS.