Manuel Vasquez pleaded guilty to the 1998 Ventura murder of Felipe Arambula after years as a fugitive.

A guilty plea is a conviction entered without a jury verdict. It still requires a formal sentencing hearing. KEYT and Ventura County prosecutors said Vasquez admitted his role in a 1998 murder-for-hire kidnapping plot after remaining a fugitive for decades, with co-defendants already serving life without parole from 1999 convictions.

Manuel Alejandro Vasquez pleaded guilty this week to first-degree murder in the June 13, 1998, killing of Felipe Arambula in Ventura, KEYT reported Oct. 1, 2026, citing the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors said Vasquez and David Hampton were hired by Jose Vazquez to kidnap and extort Arambula over an unpaid debt, and that Hampton fatally shot Arambula during the confrontation inside Arambula's home.

Hampton and Jose Vazquez were convicted of murder in 1999 and each sentenced to life without parole, the district attorney's office said. Manuel Vasquez fled to Mexico before charges were filed, remained a fugitive until his 2023 apprehension, and was extradited to Ventura County in April 2025, according to KEYT and prior DA statements.

Vasquez remains in custody without bail and is due for sentencing Nov. 2, 2026, to 25 years to life in state prison, KEYT reported. Senior Deputy District Attorney John Barrick said he was glad Vasquez took responsibility at an early stage and hoped the conviction would bring peace to Arambula's family after decades of waiting. A plea resolves guilt; the court still must impose the sentence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.