Naples man gets life in girlfriend's 2020 stabbing death after entering plea in May
A Naples man convicted of killing his girlfriend five years ago will spend life behind bars.
Collier Circuit Judge John McGowan on Monday sentenced Santiago Burbano, 26, who on May 2 pleaded no contest to second-degree murder death of Rubi De Los Angeles Velasco, 18. The sheriff's office said the plea was not part of a deal.
The homicide happened at an East Naples home on Sept. 13, 2018, when Burbano stabbed De Los Angeles Velasco over 80 times with a tactical knife.
McGowan last September found Burbano competent to stand trial. He was found incompetent in March 2019 because of mental illness, according to court records.
Burbano has remained in custody since his arrest.
Burbano's mother called Collier County Sheriff's Office to report her son had killed a woman, according to an arrest report.
Deputies responded that evening to Tuscan Isle Apartments where they found Velasco in a bedroom with a laceration on her neck, according to the sheriff's office.
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Burbano's mother told investigators he and Velasco had returned home in the afternoon and went into his bedroom together, the report states.
Later, Burbano's mother got a call from a relative indicating something might be wrong, according to the report. She went to check on her son but found his bedroom door locked.
While she was outside his bedroom door, Burbano said, "Mommy, mommy, I killed Rubi," the report states.
Burbano's mother convinced him to open the door. She found him sitting at his desk with a rifle pointed at his head and he told his mother he preferred to die than go to jail, according to the report. After his mother persuaded him to put the rifle down, deputies arrested Burbano.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples man gets life in 2020 stabbing death of girlfriend
