A man who vanished to Mexico after a Ventura murder in 1998 is now headed to state prison for 25 years to life. Manuel Alejandro Vasquez, 48, was sentenced after years on the run and a 2025 extradition that finally brought him back to face justice for killing Felipe Arambula.
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced the sentence, which came after Vasquez pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, according to a news release from the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. The office's own court filing states the plea was entered on September 30, 2026, according to a document posted by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, though KTLA reported the plea came a day later, on October 1, 2026. The two accounts conflict on the exact date.
Arambula was shot and killed inside his Ventura home on June 13, 1998, according to KEYT. A Ventura Police investigation determined that Vasquez and another man had been hired to kidnap and extort Arambula over an unpaid debt, the station reported. Vasquez fled to Mexico before charges were ever filed against him.
Decades on the Run Before Capture
Vasquez stayed a fugitive for years, evading prosecution until he was apprehended in 2023. He was not extradited back to Ventura County until April 2025, per the same KEYT report, meaning nearly three decades passed between the killing and his return to face the charge.
During that long gap, two other men connected to the case already faced consequences. David Hampton and Jose Vazquez were convicted of murder in 1999 and each sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, KEYT reported in earlier coverage of the case.
Prosecutor Credits Police, Family's Patience
Senior Deputy District Attorney John Barrick, who handled the case, said Arambula's family never gave up hope that everyone responsible would eventually be prosecuted, even after waiting nearly 30 years. Barrick thanked the Ventura Police Department for its dedication and hard work, crediting the department's efforts with helping solve the case, according to the district attorney's office news release.
Vasquez, born February 10, 1978, now begins serving his 25-years-to-life sentence in state prison. The case closes out a prosecution that spanned generations, from the original 1998 killing through two convictions in 1999 to Vasquez's capture overseas and eventual guilty plea nearly three decades later.
