RADIO HOST’S EX-GIRLFRIEND WAS SHOT SEVEN TIMES — THEN HE FLED TO MEXICO. FIVE YEARS LATER, HE FINALLY PLEADED GUILTY

A nearly five-year-old Utah murder case has taken a major turn after the former fiancé of beloved Spanish-language radio host Gabriela “Gaby Ramos” Sifuentes Castilla admitted in court that he killed her before fleeing the country.

For nearly five years, Gabriela Sifuentes Castilla’s family has been waiting for accountability.

Now, the man accused of killing the popular Utah radio host has admitted responsibility.

On Sept. 10, Manuel Omar Burciaga Perea, 39, pleaded guilty to murder in connection with the Oct. 17, 2021, killing of his former fiancée, 38-year-old Gabriela Sifuentes Castilla, PEOPLE reported.

Gabriela was known to listeners as “Gaby Ramos” while working at Spanish-language radio station La Más Picosita.

Her life came to a devastating end inside her sister’s home in Taylorsville, Utah.

THE NIGHT EVERYTHING CHANGED

According to police and charging documents cited by PEOPLE, Burciaga and Gabriela had attended the same party earlier that night.

Prosecutors alleged that Burciaga became enraged after seeing Gabriela dancing with another man.

An argument followed.

Gabriela was later shot seven times inside her sister’s home.

Her sister, Rocio Sifuentes, was present and witnessed the incident. Gabriela’s young daughter was also inside the home and could hear what happened from another room.

The case would soon stretch far beyond Utah.

HE FLED TO MEXICO

After Gabriela’s killing, Burciaga fled to his hometown of Chihuahua, Mexico.

For investigators and Gabriela’s family, the case remained unresolved while he was outside the United States.

Burciaga was eventually extradited back to the U.S. in May 2023 and remained in custody while awaiting trial.

Now, almost five years after Gabriela’s death, the case has reached a dramatic turning point.

A GUILTY PLEA — BUT NOT THE ORIGINAL CHARGES

Under the plea agreement, Burciaga pleaded guilty to:

• Murder
• Domestic violence in the presence of a child
• Reckless endangerment

Prosecutors reduced the original aggravated-murder charge to murder and dismissed additional charges, including aggravated burglary.

Deputy Salt Lake County Attorney Karissa McKinney said the agreement provided accountability and finality while still recognizing the seriousness of the case, according to PEOPLE.

But not everyone in Gabriela’s family supported the deal.

Her sister, Rocio Sifuentes, who witnessed the shooting, said she opposed the plea agreement.

GABRIELA WAS MORE THAN A CRIME VICTIM

To listeners, Gabriela was a familiar voice on Spanish-language radio.

To her family, she was a mother, sister and former fiancée whose life was abruptly taken away.

Her death left behind a young daughter and relatives who have spent years living with the consequences of that night.

The case also drew renewed attention to the devastating consequences of domestic violence and possessive behavior within relationships.

SENTENCING IS STILL AHEAD

Burciaga’s guilty plea does not mark the end of the legal process.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 10, 2026.

For Gabriela’s loved ones, however, the plea represents a major development in a case that has remained painful for nearly five years.

The courtroom admission cannot bring Gabriela back.

But after years of waiting, her family is finally moving closer to a final chapter in the case.