Man suspected of killing Utah radio host Gaby Ramos extradited from Mexico
Manuel Omar Burciaga-Perea faces multiple charges, including aggravated murder.
(KMRI 1550) Gabriela Sifuentes Castilla, 38, was shot multiple times on October 17, 2021. Castilla, who appeared under her on-air name Gaby Ramos, had been working as a presenter on Spanish radio station La Más Picosita since 3:50 p.m. March 2020.
A man who fled to Mexico after prosecutors claimed he killed local Spanish radio host Gaby Ramos has been extradited from Mexico, Taylorsville police said on Friday.
Manuel Omar Burciaga-Perea, 36, is accused of killing Ramos, whose full name was Gabriela Sifuentes Castilla, in 2021. The 38-year-old has been a presenter on Spanish radio station La Más Picosita since March 2020 at 3:50 p.m. and often spoke about violence on her show. Her on-air name was Gaby Ramos.
According to a press release, Burciaga-Perea arrived in Utah late Friday after being extradited from Mexico City. The US Marshals Service turned Burciaga-Perea over to the Taylorsville Police Department and he is now in the Salt Lake County Jail.
Police first arrested him in Chihuahua, Mexico, in November 2022 on charges related to aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, obstruction of justice and domestic violence in the presence of a child in 2021.
Burciaga-Perea had been detained in a federal detention facility in Mexico City for the past six months.
Ramos, or Sifuentes Castilla, was fatally shot at her sister’s home in Taylorsville on Oct. 17, 2021, police said. Burciaga-Perea was a former romantic partner.
The indictment documents say that Burciaga-Perea and Sifuentes Castilla, who were not together at the time, were at the same party prior to her murder, and Burciaga-Perea became “enraged” when he saw her dancing with another man.
Later that night, Sifuentes Castilla went to her sister’s home in Taylorsville, where Burciaga-Perea showed up, police said. Castilla and her sister were able to force him out of the house, but he returned about 15 minutes later. Burciaga-Perea shot Castilla several times and continued to fire at her while she was lying on the ground accusing documents.
(Connor Sanders | The Salt Lake Tribune) Friends and family leave flowers and candles at a shrine to Gabriela Sifuentes Castilla in Taylorsville on Tuesday, October 19, 2021. Sifuentes Castilla was fatally shot at home early Sunday morning.
An arrest warrant was issued for Burciaga-Perea on November 9, 2021, according to court documents. However, because he is a Mexican citizen and had fled to Mexico, Taylorsville police did not have the authority to arrest him, the press release said.
The Taylorsville Police Department, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, the US Marshals Service and the Department of Justice all worked with Mexico’s attorney general’s office and federal court to execute the warrant for Burciaga-Perea’s arrest, the release said.
“This would not have been possible without the teamwork, persistence and collaboration between the offices,” Taylorsville Police Chief Brady Cottam said in a statement. “The process has been long and arduous, but we are grateful for this significant step towards resolution and justice.”
