Man sentenced to 50 years in prison for killing his wife, unborn child in Phoenix

PHOENIX - A man has been sentenced to prison for the violent murder of his wife and their unborn child at a Phoenix apartment complex.

Just after midnight on Mar. 26, 2012, Phoenix Police officers responded to a gruesome scene near 32nd Avenue and Beardsley Road. Residents said they heard a woman screaming and banging on a neighbor's door for help. When officers arrived, they found 22-year-old Sheila Lomes with 38 stab wounds, dead on a balcony.

Investigators later learned Lomes was pregnant, and was expecting a baby girl. Lomes and her husband, Gilbert Villareal, had been separated for months before the murder. Police say there was a history of domestic violence, and Villareal and Lomes already shared a 2-year-old boy.

Gilbert Villareal

Following Lomes' murder, Villareal fled to Mexico. He wasn't found until 2016, when he was arrested for stabbing a woman in the neck. Villareal was convicted of the crime and sentenced to prison. He was then extradited to Arizona.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office says Villareal pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in the death of Lomes and his unborn child. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Villareal is also prohibited him from contacting Lomes' family, including his son.

"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 two-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."