A man who fled to Mexico more than 20 years ago after killing a man outside a Hamilton bar has been sentenced to 18 years to life in prison.
Antonio Riano, 63, who also is known as “El Diablo,” was in the United States illegally in 2004 when he fatally shot 25-year-old Benjamin Becerra in broad daylight. Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Riano but soon learned that he had escaped to Mexico.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office listed Riano as a wanted fugitive, and the case was profiled on Fox’s “America’s Most Wanted” television show.
It was 20 years before investigators were able to locate Riano, finding him through his Facebook account and learning that he was working as a police officer in Mexico. Officials extradited him to Butler County in 2024 to stand trial.
After a four-day trial in Butler County Common Pleas Court, Riano was convicted of murder on June 13.
“I just want to say thank you, and also I’m sorry for everything that happened,” Riano, via a translator, told Judge Michael Oster Jr. “I’ll have to pay with the sentence, there’s no other way around it.”
Prosecutors described the shooting as a “revenge killing,” saying Riano put a .38-caliber revolver to Becerra’s head and pulled the trigger, killing him. He bought the ammunition from a local Walmart less than an hour earlier.
Where does the nickname ‘El Diablo’ come from?
After interviewing witnesses, investigators identified Riano as the suspect and learned he was commonly referred to as “El Diablo,” court documents say.
Riano’s attorney, Kara Blackney, has previously said that the “El Diablo” nickname stems from him dressing up in a devil outfit for carnival performances in his hometown.
Deportation likely
Because Riano is not a U.S. citizen, he could be deported if he’s paroled from prison.
Oster said the sentence justified the circumstances of the killing as well as the evidence presented during the trial.
“Hours beforehand, Mr. Riano bought ammunition, put it in a gun, put that gun from a very small distance from the victim − and at that small distance next to his head − pulled the trigger,” Oster said. “He does have to live with the consequences.”
Enquirer staff writer Quinlan Bentley contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Mexican police officer ‘El Diablo’ sentenced to 18 years to life for Hamilton murder
Reporting by Hailey Roden, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
