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TAYLORSVILLE — A man charged with killing a popular Utah Spanish radio host has been extradited from Mexico City to Utah and was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Friday night.
Manuel Omar Burciaga-Perea, 36, is charged with aggravated murder, a first-degree felony, in the death of Gabriela Sifuentes Castilla who was shot on Oct. 17, 2021. Sifuentes, better known in the community as Gaby Ramos, hosted a Spanish radio show "La Neta del Planeta," or "The Truth of the Planet," on La Mas Picosita (KMRI 1550 AM).
"Oh my gosh, I have a lot of emotion. I have a lot of feelings," Rocio Sifuentes, the victim's sister, said Saturday. "It's taken so long, but finally, he's here."
She described her sister as an educated woman, "super happy. She liked to help other people," Rocio Sifuentes said. "So I miss her so much."
The United States Marshals Service escorted Burciaga-Perea to the United States and turned him over to the Taylorsville police, the city said in a statement. Officers took the man into custody at the Salt Lake City International Airport and transported him to the Taylorsville Police Station.
Burciaga-Perea declined police interviews before he was booked into jail, police said.
In addition to aggravated murder, Burciaga-Perea was charged in November 2021 in 3rd District Court with aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony; obstructing justice, a second-degree felony; plus domestic violence in the presence of a child and aggravated assault, third-degree felonies.
Rocio Sifuentes said her sister and Burciaga-Perea met at a restaurant where Gabriela Sifuentes worked and were in a dating relationship. Two months before the shooting, she said her sister cut things off with Burciaga-Perea.
She explained that she didn't know the extent of the domestic violence that her sister endured, but she described Burciaga-Perea as jealous, aggressive and physically violent.
Taylorsville officers were dispatched to a verbal domestic argument at 5222 S. Autumn Park Drive (2310 West) about 1:20 a.m. on the day of Sifuentes' death. Her family members said Burciaga-Perea had come over to confront his former girlfriend about an engagement ring.
Burciaga-Perea forced his way into the house to grab the ring from Gabriela Sifuentes' room before leaving, according to charging documents.
The family called 911 again about 15 minutes later to report that Burciaga-Perea had returned. As Rocio Sifuentes was talking to a 911 dispatcher, her sister opened the front door where Burciaga-Perea pointed a gun directly at her and shot her seven times in the head, chest and arm, according to the charges and police.
Burciaga-Perea then allegedly pointed the gun at Rocio Sifuentes after she ran to get help, forcing her to retreat. Gabriela Sifuentes' 9-year-old daughter was in the home at the time of the shooting.
Rocio Sifuentes said her sister died in her arms.
Investigators said Burciaga-Perea immediately turned off his phone following the killing and never turned it back on. However, his Facebook messenger was accessed the next day from Chihuahua, Mexico, according to the charges.
Taylorsville police said because Burciaga-Perea was in Mexico and is a Mexican citizen, they did not have the authority to detain him despite knowing his location. This prompted further legal proceedings to have him arrested.
"With respect to international treaties, multiple agencies including (Taylorsville police), the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office, the U.S. Marshals Service in Utah and the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., worked tirelessly in coordination with the Mexican State Attorney General's Office and federal court in Mexico to execute a warrant for the arrest of Burciaga-Perea," Taylorsville police said.
Burciaga-Perea was arrested on Nov. 24, 2022, in Chihuahua, Mexico with the assistance of federal and state agencies in Mexico and the U.S. Marshals Service. For the six months since his arrest, he has been in detention at the federal holding facility in Mexico City, police said.
"The process was tedious and painstaking, but we are grateful for this significant step toward resolution and justice," Taylorsville Police Chief Brady Cottam said.
Rocio Sifuentes said she has a message that women need to talk and speak out and leave the people who hurt them.
"To the Latin community, please don't be quiet," she said. "If they have a case or, the justice is not taking care of the cases, please speak up. They are going to get justice."
She said her sister's 10-year-old daughter told her she now feels she can finally sleep at night.
"This is not just justice for my sister, justice for my niece — (it's) justice for the (women who) suffer domestic violence," she said. "So, it's a good fight. It's worth it."
