American detectives successfully tracked down a fugitive, Antonio Riano, to Oaxaca, Mexico, 20 years after he allegedly shot and killed a man outside an Ohio bar. Riano, now 62, was charged with first-degree murder for the incident that occurred in 2004 outside the Roundhouse Bar in Hamilton, Ohio. Witnesses reported an argument between Riano and the victim, Benjamin Becarra, inside the bar, which escalated outside resulting in Becarra's fatal shooting captured by a security camera.
Riano was apprehended in Zapotitlan Palmas, Mexico, where he was found to be working as a local police officer. Despite his arrest, Riano denied the murder allegations, stating he became a police officer to help the people of Mexico. The U.S. Marshals office confirmed his arrest and extradition to the United States.
The investigation into Riano's whereabouts was aided by evidence found in Ohio, including security footage of him purchasing bullets before the shooting and the murder weapon hidden in his home. Detective Mark Henson, who worked on the case in 2004, tracked Riano to New Jersey and later to Oaxaca, his hometown.
Riano had been on the Butler County Sheriff's Office 'Most Wanted' list and was featured on 'America's Most Wanted' before his capture. Authorities began actively searching for him earlier this year and located him through his Facebook page, discovering his employment as a police officer in Mexico.
Before fleeing to Mexico, Riano left behind a wife and three children in Ohio. Becarra's family has been informed of Riano's arrest and extradition, bringing closure to a long-standing case that spanned two decades.
