Ohio Murder Suspect Captured After Nearly 20 Years on the Run, Found Living as Police Officer in Mexico
An Ohio murder suspect who spent nearly two decades on the state’s most wanted list has been arrested after authorities discovered he was living a double life in Mexico.
Antonio Riano, wanted since 2004 for the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Benjamin Becerra, was apprehended on August 1 in Zapotitlán Palmas, a town in Oaxaca, Mexico. Investigators say the 72-year-old had been working as a local police officer in his hometown while evading U.S. law enforcement.
Riano had been a high-profile fugitive for years, appearing on the Butler County Sheriff’s Office most wanted list and later featured on the television program America’s Most Wanted in 2005. Despite widespread publicity, he managed to avoid capture for nearly 20 years.
Authorities say his arrest brings long-awaited progress in a case that has remained unresolved for the victim’s family for decades. Extradition proceedings are expected to follow, as U.S. officials work with Mexican authorities to return Riano to Ohio to face charges related to the 2004 killing.
Law enforcement officials described the arrest as a major breakthrough, highlighting the persistence of investigators who continued to pursue the case years after it went cold. The development has renewed conversations about cross-border cooperation and how long-running fugitives can sometimes blend into ordinary life while hiding in plain sight.
Ohio Murder Suspect Captured After Nearly 20 Years on the Run, Found Living as Police Officer in Mexico