Man behind SoCal restauranteur’s botched kidnapping murder sentenced

Manuel Vasquez has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for his role in the 1998 kidnapping and murder of Ventura restaurant owner Felipe Arambula. Vasquez, who fled to Mexico after the crime, was apprehended in 2023 and extradited to California. The botched kidnapping, orchestrated by a local poker club owner, resulted in the victim being shot dead in front of his family.