A Greater Cincinnati murder fugitive, who was on the run for over 20 years until being discovered working as a police officer in Mexico, has been sentenced.
Antonio “El Diablo” Riano was sentenced to 18 to life in prison for the murder of 25-year-old Benjamin Becarra in December 2004, Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Oster stated on Wednesday.
He was found guilty on June 13th.
Case features on ‘America’s Most Wanted’
Riano, 73, has been on the Butler County Sheriff’s Office’s “Most Wanted” list for years and was featured on the television show “America’s Most Wanted” in 2005.
Hamilton police determined that Riano shot Becerra in the face after a brief disagreement inside and then outside the Round House tavern on East Avenue around 2:20 p.m. on December 19, 2004.
Becerra had been in a confrontation at the bar a few weeks before, so when he returned that day, the bartender ordered him to leave, according to Paul Newton, the prosecutor’s chief investigator.
According to Newton, Riano intervened to assist the bartender, and the two men got into a heated confrontation.
The bartender instructed them to take it outside.
Minutes afterward, gunfire erupted.
The victim was discovered lying face down on the sidewalk.
Riano hopped into his vehicle and drove away, according to surveillance camera footage from the pub that captured the entire incident, which police retrieved after their investigation.
Local authorities used security footage to identify Riano as the culprit.
Newton stated that they discovered the murder weapon, as well as ammunition nearby.
Investigators discovered it 10 days after he went, stashed in a secret room under the kitchen floor of his Hamilton flat on East Avenue, near the pub.
Despite having all the necessary tools to apprehend Riano, they were unable to locate him.
Riano was in the United States illegally and fled to Mexico to evade arrest.
Assistant prosecutor, investigator pursued ‘El Diablo’
Nearly two decades after the incident, Butler County officials discovered Riano working as a police officer in his birthplace of Zapotitlan Palmas, Oaxaca.
On August 1, 2024, US Marshals turned Riano over to Newton at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Riano’s return to Butler County was largely due to Newton and Butler County Chief Criminal Assistant Prosecutor Brad Burress’ hard and determined efforts.
Newton spent years scouring the internet for any tip, photo, or shred of information that could lead to Riano’s location.
In 2006, local and federal officials tracked Riano down to his mother’s house in Mexico.
However, when US Marshals arrived to arrest Riano, he was not at home.
In addition to extensive collaboration between municipal, federal, and Mexican authorities, local officials must also navigate a maze of paperwork.
Burress diligently and meticulously prepared and filed all of the records, including affidavits from witnesses and the case investigator; certified copies of the indictment, arrest warrant, medical records/autopsy reports, and copies of all pertinent statutes; and Riano’s fingerprints and photograph.
Both Burress and Newton went out of town to find witnesses and obtain new sworn statements from them.
The Department of Justice also now requires “new” witness declarations, or extra affidavits, in addition to those obtained during the offense.
At least one witness must identify the defendant as the perpetrator of the crime using a photo.
One of the state’s witnesses in this trial came here from Mexico.
