A man who evaded capture for nearly two decades while being one of Ohio’s “most wanted” fugitives was found working as a police officer in his hometown in Mexico. Antonio Riano, 72, was arrested on August 1st in Zapotilan Palmas, Oaxaca, Mexico, where he had been serving as a local law enforcement officer.
Riano had been wanted since 2004 for the murder of 25-year-old Benjamin Becarra, whom he allegedly shot following a heated argument outside Roundhouse Bar in Hamilton, Ohio.
After the bartender told the men to take their dispute outside, shots rang out, and Becarra was found dead. Riano was captured on surveillance footage fleeing the scene, prompting a years-long search that extended across borders.
Authorities suspected Riano fled the country to avoid charges. In 2006, U.S. Marshals nearly apprehended him, but he slipped away by hiding at a friend’s house. Despite the close call, Riano remained elusive until recently, when investigators used social media, including Facebook, to track him down.
Riano was extradited from Mexico and is currently being held without bond at the Butler County Jail in Cincinnati. He faces two charges of murder and one count of felony assault. His court date is scheduled for later this month.
The arrest underscores the persistence of law enforcement and the surprising twist that a fugitive was living and working as a police officer while evading capture for nearly 20 years.
