A 36-year-old Phoenix man who stabbed his pregnant wife 38 times has been sentenced to 50 years for killing her and their unborn child.

Gilbert Villareal pleaded guilty earlier this month to two counts of second-degree murder. He also received five lifetime injunctions, preventing any type of contact with the victim’s family, including his own son, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

On March 26, 2012, Phoenix police arrived at an apartment complex where they found Villareal’s 22-year-old pregnant wife, Shelia Lomes, dead from 38 stab wounds.

“Her 2-year-old son was standing beside her, crying,” MCAO officials stated in a release.

Authorities “learned that this incident was the culmination of more than a year of domestic violence incidents where the defendant terrorized, manipulated and abused the victim, who was attempting to leave the relationship when she was murdered.”

Villareal fled to Mexico following the slaying and his whereabouts were not known until Dec. 21, 2016, when he was arrested for another case of domestic violence, county officials said.

Villareal was convicted in Mexico and sentenced to prison, after which he was extradited back to the U.S. to face the charges in Maricopa County.

“Finding a way to bring this defendant back to the U.S. to face his crimes was a particularly challenging process. Our lawyers and support staff were relentless in their efforts to ensure he was located and returned here,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said.

“Remember, a 2-year-old child witnessed this awful crime. I hope that one day, when he is old enough to understand, he will recognize there were dozens of people on his side, fighting for justice.” 

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