SALT LAKE CITY (Court TV) – A man appeared in court to plead guilty to killing his ex-girlfriend, ending a case that spanned five years and two countries.
Manuel Omar Burciaga-Perea appears in court on Sept. 10, 2026. (Court TV)
Manuel Omar Burciaga-Perea, 39, pleaded guilty to murder, domestic violence in the presence of a child and reckless endangerment in the death of Gabriela Sifuentes Castilla, 38, who was known as “Gaby Ramos” in her role as a Spanish radio host.
Burciaga-Perea shot and killed Sifuentes at her sister’s home on Oct. 17, 2021. At Thursday’s plea hearing, he admitted to not only shooting and killing the victim, but also firing the gun into the room where Sifuentes’ sister was. Sifuentes’ sister had initially supported the plea agreement with prosecutors, but she changed her mind in the days before the hearing, KSL reported.
Sifuentes’ sister told media after the shooting that she tried to protect both her sister and the children in the house, telling them to go into a bedroom and lock the doors, KTVT reported. In charging documents obtained by KUTV, investigators said the victim was shot seven times in the chest, arm and head.
Deputy Salt Lake County Attorney Karissa McKinney defended the deal, saying it prevents the victim’s young daughter from having to testify at a trial, according to KSL.
Immediately after the shooting, police began searching for Burciaga-Perea, who had been identified as a suspect. Investigators warned he had left in a pickup truck and was considered “armed and dangerous.” Burciaga-Perea evaded authorities until November 2022, when they arrested him in Chihuahua, Mexico. “The process was tedious and painstaking,” Taylorsville Police Chief Brady Cottam said after his arrest. “We are grateful for this significant step toward resolution and justice.”
It took another six months for Burciaga-Perea to return to the United States. He arrived on May 27, 2023, and was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail.
Burciaga-Perea had been scheduled to stand trial next month before accepting the plea agreement. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10.
