An Oxnard man was sentenced this week to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of his wife in Montecito.
On September 28, 2022, Jose Roberto MunozSanchez forced his estranged wife, Blanca Aguilera, to drive from Ventura County to a remote area in Montecito. When she tried to escape, MunozSanchez intentionally hit her and drove over her multiple times.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene along the 800 block of East Mountain Drive after someone reported a woman screaming. Aguilera was still alive when they arrived but she died later at the hospital.
Authorities say Aguilera was able to identify MunozSanchez as the suspect before she died. He fled to Mexico but was apprehended a little more than a year later.
On Dec. 12, 2024, MunozSanchez pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. He was sentenced on January 15.