Saira Mariosol Vasquez, a 30-year-old Hispanic woman, was a manager at Bienvenidos Bar 7 De Copas in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she worked alongside her boyfriend, Adan Duran. In the early morning hours of October 10, 2016, a typical Sunday night shift turned into a tragedy that would end both of their lives.
The bar, located near Pine and Lewis in north Tulsa, was winding down for the night at around 1 a.m. A relative of the couple was working as the bartender when a male patron began to harass her with unwanted advances. Saira, protective of her family member, intervened and told the man he needed to leave. Duran, who was 23, stood with her, supporting her decision to de-escalate the situation and remove the disruptive customer from the establishment.
The confrontation quickly and violently escalated. According to police, the man became enraged at being asked to leave. He walked out of the bar, went to his vehicle, and retrieved a pistol.
He then re-entered the bar and opened fire, shooting and killing both Saira and Duran. The bartender was able to hide and escape physical harm as the gunman fled the scene.
When Tulsa police officers arrived at the bar, they found Saira and Duran inside with fatal gunshot wounds. Investigators learned that other patrons had been present during the shooting but had fled before police arrived. The killings were recorded as the 56th and 57th homicides in Tulsa for 2016, a year that would become one of the city's deadliest on record. Detectives began piecing together the events of the night, working with the witnesses who remained and processing the evidence at the scene.
In the initial stages of the investigation, police considered two theories: one, that the shooting was a drug-related hit, and two, based on a witness account, that it was the result of the suspect getting angry after being told to stop harassing the bartender. If it were a drug hit, police feared the suspect would quickly flee to Mexico.
As the investigation progressed, authorities identified a suspect. An arrest warrant was issued for Rigoberto Oros Pureco, then 33, charging him with two counts of first-degree murder. Police stated that Pureco had been in the bar for hours, hoping to leave with the bartender. When Saira and Adan intervened and insisted he leave, he allegedly retrieved a gun and murdered them in retaliation before making his escape.
Despite the arrest warrant and public appeals for information, Rigoberto Pureco has not been apprehended. He remains a fugitive, wanted for the murders of Saira Vasquez and Adan Duran. The case is a painful example of how a seemingly minor conflict can erupt into devastating violence, leaving behind a grieving family and a community seeking justice. Years have passed, but the search for the man authorities say is responsible continues. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Rigoberto Pureco is asked to call Tulsa Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS.
