It took twenty years, but police have finally captured a man who they say murdered a bar customer and then fled the country to begin a new life.
And what a life it was. Antonio Riano is 72, and was living in Ohio 20 years ago. In 2004, it is alleged that he shot and killed a fellow customer at a bar in Cincinnati Ohio before leaving the country for Mexico. It is almost unbelievable what Riano took up as a profession south of the border: He became a Mexican police officer.
Riano—whose nickname is “El Diablo,” or “the devil”—was repatriated to the U.S. on August 1 after a two-decade manhunt. When federal officers turned Riano over to local police in Cincinnati, a reporter asked him what made him flee to Mexico and become a cop. His answer? “I wanted to help the people of Mexico.”
He’s going to need some help himself as Riano is facing charges for the murder of Benjamin Becerra, 25, when he and Riano were both drinking at a Cincinnati bar. There was apparently a verbal fight between two, which continued as both of them left the bar. In front of security cameras, police say, Riano pulled out a gun and shot Becerra, who died shortly after.
Riano has been one of the most wanted fugitives not only in Ohio but in the entire U.S.
During the initial investigation 20 years ago, cops found that Riano had allegedly bought ammunition from a local gun store hours before the killing. They also say the murder weapon was found underneath the floorboards at Riano’s home in Ohio.
How was he able to evade capture for so long, considering that he was caught on video and the gun used in the murder was hidden in his house? Not only was there plenty of evidence, but the popular television show America’s Most Wanted ran a feature on Riano.
But Riano was able to get away, even though he made pit stop in New Jersey at his sister’s house on his way back to his hometown in Mexico. Riano abandoned a wife and three kids in Ohio to make his escape. Once in Mexico, he was hired as a cop by the Zapotitlán Palmas police force.
It seems new law enforcement initiative is what led to Riano’s recent capture; an investigator working in the Hamilton, Ohio prosecutor’s office decided to reinvigorate the search. Paul Newton, who worked on the original investigation as a sheriff’s deputy, said he found the perp’s Facebook page which disclosed his location and the fact that he was working as a cop.
“My God, there he is,” Newton recalled saying to himself.
When Riano arrived in the U.S. he denied responsibility for the murders. There is no word yet on when his trial may begin. He is being held without bond.
