By El Latino Newsroom
A man who fled to Mexico after being implicated in a 1998 murder in Ventura, California, has been sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison, nearly three decades after the killing.
Manuel Alejandro Vasquez, who remained a fugitive for years before being arrested in Mexico, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in September 2026 and was sentenced following his return to Ventura County.
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced the sentence, marking the conclusion of a case that remained unresolved for Vasquez for more than two decades. The conviction stems from the June 13, 1998, killing of Felipe Arambula, who was shot inside his home in Ventura by two men.
Vasquez, born Feb. 10, 1978, pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, 2026, to first-degree murder. His sentence of 25 years to life in state prison follows his extradition from Mexico in April 2025, after authorities apprehended him in 2023.
The prosecution was handled by Senior Deputy District Attorney John Barrick, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Major Crimes Homicide Unit.
The case involved multiple individuals who investigators identified as responsible for planning and carrying out the attack. While two other men were convicted and sentenced in 1999, Vasquez left the country before charges were filed against him, delaying the legal proceedings in his case.
Investigation revealed a planned kidnapping and extortion
According to investigators with the Ventura Police Department, Arambula was killed inside his Ventura residence on June 13, 1998, when two men entered the home and shot him.
The subsequent investigation identified Manuel Alejandro Vasquez and David Hampton as the individuals responsible for the attack. Authorities determined that the two men had been hired by Jose Vazquez to kidnap Arambula and extort money from him over an alleged unpaid debt.
The plan involved forcing Arambula to pay money connected to the disputed debt. However, the confrontation inside the residence ended in a fatal shooting. During the incident, Hampton shot Arambula, killing him.
The investigation established the roles of the three men in the crime, leading to criminal proceedings against Hampton and Jose Vazquez in 1999. Both were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Vasquez, however, was not brought before the court at that time. He fled to Mexico before formal charges were filed against him and remained outside the reach of authorities for years.
His departure created a lengthy delay in the prosecution, leaving his case unresolved while the other two defendants served their sentences.
Despite the passage of time, investigators continued working to locate Vasquez and bring him back to Ventura County to face the murder charge.
Arrest in Mexico led to extradition and final sentencing
Vasquez remained a fugitive until 2023, when he was apprehended in Mexico. His arrest set in motion the process to return him to California to face prosecution for Arambula’s killing.
He was extradited to Ventura County in April 2025, nearly 27 years after the murder. Following his return, the criminal case proceeded through the local court system, culminating in his guilty plea on Sept. 30, 2026.
The first-degree murder conviction resulted in a sentence of 25 years to life in state prison, formally holding Vasquez accountable for his role in the 1998 killing.
In announcing the sentence, District Attorney Erik Nasarenko highlighted the persistence of Arambula’s family, who continued seeking justice despite the lengthy delay in bringing all those responsible before the courts.
Senior Deputy District Attorney John Barrick also recognized the family’s determination and the work of the Ventura Police Department throughout the investigation.
“Despite waiting nearly 30 years for justice, the victim’s family never wavered in their belief that one day all the men responsible for the victim’s murder would be successfully prosecuted,” Barrick said.
He also credited the Ventura Police Department for its dedication and investigative efforts, emphasizing that the case would not have been solved without the department’s continued work.
“Special thanks to the Ventura Police Department for their dedication and hard work regarding this case, which would not have been solved but for their tireless efforts,” Barrick said.
The sentencing closes the prosecution of Vasquez, the final defendant in a case that began with Arambula’s killing in 1998. Hampton and Jose Vazquez were convicted in 1999 and received life sentences without the possibility of parole, while Manuel Alejandro Vasquez remained at large until his arrest in Mexico more than two decades later.
His return to California and subsequent guilty plea brought the case against him to a conclusion, providing a legal outcome for the victim’s family after nearly 30 years of waiting for all those implicated in the murder to face justice.
