Crime
‘Most Wanted’ Fugitive Sought in 2004 Murder Found Working As Police Officer
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‘Most Wanted’ fugitive sought in 2004 murder found working as police officer
by: Talia Naquin
A man who had been one of Ohio’s “most wanted” fugitives for nearly 20 years is in custody.
Antonio Riano had been wanted for the shooting death of Benjamin Becarra, 25, in Butler County, Ohio, in 2004.
(Butler County Sheriff’s Office)
On August 1, U.S. Marshals arrested Riano in his hometown of Zapotitlan Palmas, State of Oaxaca, Mexico, where he was working as a police officer, according to a press release.
Riano made his first court appearance in Ohio on Monday, where he was ordered held without bond.
Riano, now 72, was profiled on the “America’s Most Wanted” television series in 2005.
Police said Riano shot Becerra in the face following an argument inside and then outside of the Round House bar in Hamilton on the afternoon of Dec. 19, 2004, according to FOX 19.
“This type of apprehension would not be possible without the cooperation and due diligence of both the Prosecutor’s Office investigators, the United States Marshal Service, and the United States Department of Justice,” said Michael T. Gmoser, Butler County prosecutor in a press release.
The Butler County Prosecutor’s Office teamed up with the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs who worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure Riano’s arrest and extradition.
Riano is due back in court later this month.
According to Butler County Jail records, Riano is being held on two charges of murder and one count of felony assault.
