Manuel Vasquez, who was on the run in Mexico for over two decades, has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for his involvement in the 1998 kidnapping and murder of Felipe Arambula, the owner of Taqueria Vallarta in Ventura, California.
Vasquez, then 20, and a 19-year-old accomplice, David Hampton, targeted Arambula on June 13, 1998, with the intent to kidnap him and extort money due to unpaid debts. They arrived at Arambula’s home while he was away and took his wife and young children captive. The plan unraveled when Arambula returned home and confronted the suspects. Hampton then fatally shot Arambula in front of his family before both suspects fled the scene.
Hampton and the mastermind of the plot, local poker club owner Jose Alberto Vasquez, were both sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1999.
Manuel Vasquez, now 48, was apprehended in Mexico in 2023 and extradited to Ventura County the following year. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in September.
Vasquez's attorney stated that his client "accepted responsibility for his role in Mr. Arambula’s death and has expressed genuine remorse for the pain he caused." The attorney added, "I hope this resolution brings them some measure of peace."
In addition to his prison sentence, Vasquez was ordered to pay restitution to several of Arambula’s family members. The prosecutor noted that the family's perseverance was crucial in achieving justice, stating that they "never wavered in their belief that one day all the men responsible for the victim’s murder would be successfully prosecuted."
Senior Deputy District Attorney John Barrick also acknowledged the Ventura Police Department for their dedicated efforts in solving the case.