SPRINGFIELD, IL.— Gabriel P. Calixto, 27, who has ties to the Metro East, was wanted in connection with the stabbing death of his girlfriend in Springfield, IL., and was captured in Mexico and will be returned to the United States to stand trial, federal authorities announced.
Calixto faces three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated domestic battery in the 2023 death of 24-year-old Emma Shafer. On July 11, 2023, Springfield, IL., Police responded to a residence in the 1000 block of South 8th Street, where Shafer was found dead from multiple sharp force injuries, according to the coroner’s office.
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Following the discovery, Calixto went on the run. The U.S. Marshals Service collaborated with Mexican authorities to locate and apprehend him. His arrest was announced by Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser, the Springfield Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Authorities expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Southern Districts of Illinois.
The Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office will work with federal officials to coordinate Calixto’s extradition proceedings.
