This unexpected development brings an end to a 20-year manhunt that began in December 2004, when Riano, now 72, shot and killed a man outside a bar in Hamilton, Ohio.
The incident occurred four days before Christmas in 2004. Riano became involved in a dispute with 25-year-old Benjamin Beccera at the Roundhouse Bar. The altercation continued outside the establishment, where surveillance footage captured Riano drawing a gun and fatally shooting Beccera in the face. Following the murder, Riano fled, initially visiting his sister in New Jersey before vanishing completely.
Despite a nationwide manhunt, Riano managed to evade capture, and his case went cold over the years. Nonetheless, he remained on the U.S. most wanted criminals list. The breakthrough came recently when Paul Newton, a former deputy on the 2004 case who now works for the Butler County Prosecutor’s Office, decided to search Riano's name on Facebook. To his astonishment, Newton found Riano’s profile, showing him in uniform as a police officer in Oaxaca, Mexico.
“I’m like, ‘My God, there he is!’” Newton told WKRC, expressing his disbelief at locating the man he had been searching for so long. Although Riano appeared older and greyer, Newton was certain it was him.
U.S. investigators quickly reached out to Mexican authorities, who confirmed Riano’s identity and subsequently arrested him. At the time of his arrest, Riano was working with the Zapotitlan Palmas Police Department. Mexico agreed to extradite Riano to the United States, where he was flown to Ohio to face charges of murder—a crime that could result in a life sentence.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, including the video footage from the night of the murder, Riano continues to deny his involvement in Beccera’s death. However, prosecutors are confident they possess sufficient evidence to secure a conviction. “We had all the evidence we needed gathered,” said Mark Henson, a detective on the case in 2004. “We already had a direct indictment against him. It was just a matter of waiting to find him.”
When questioned about his decision to become a police officer in Mexico, Riano claimed that he “wanted to help the people of Mexico,” adding a chilling twist to his story of evading justice while hiding in plain sight.