By Redaccion
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After more than 25 years on the run, a man accused in a 1998 Ventura murder case has been extradited from Mexico. The defendant faces multiple charges, including homicide and kidnapping with violence.
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that Manuel Alejandro Vasquez (DOB 02/10/1978) was extradited from Mexico to face charges for the June 13, 1998, killing of Felipe Arambula.
Vasquez is charged with murder, attempted kidnapping, first-degree residential burglary, and false imprisonment by violence. He also faces a special allegation of murder during a kidnapping. Vasquez made his first court appearance in Ventura County Superior Court on April 17, 2025.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney John Barrick, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Major Crimes Homicide Unit.
According to the investigation by the Ventura Police Department, Arambula was shot and killed inside his home by two unknown assailants. Authorities later identified Vasquez and David Hampton as the individuals responsible. The investigation revealed they were hired by Jose Vazquez to kidnap and extort Arambula over an alleged unpaid debt. During the confrontation, Hampton fatally shot Arambula with a 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol allegedly owned by Manuel Vasquez.
Both Jose Vazquez and David Hampton were tried and convicted of murder in 1999 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Manuel Vasquez fled the country before charges could be filed and remained a fugitive until his arrest in Mexico in 2023.
His extradition to Ventura County was completed on April 16, 2025. Vasquez’s arraignment was continued to May 21, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 12 of the Ventura County Superior Court. He remains in custody without bail.
