A fugitive wanted in connection with a deadly shooting two decades ago in Ohio was arrested Thursday after authorities discovered he was working as a police officer in Mexico, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Antonio Liano, known as “El Diablo” or “The Devil,” was listed as a “Most Wanted” fugitive by the Butler County Sheriff's Office following a December 2004 shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio. according to A press release from the U.S. Marshals Service said the shooting reportedly left 25-year-old Benjamin Becarra dead. Liano is said to have fled the U.S. after the shooting “to avoid prosecution.”
Liano was arrested in Mexico on Thursday and “found working as a local police officer,” the release stated. He was flown to Cincinnati and is being held in the Butler County Jail while awaiting trial.
“This arrest would not have been possible without the cooperation and due diligence of investigators from the Prosecutor's Office, the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Department of Justice,” said Butler County Prosecutor Michael T. Gmoser.
Prosecutors have charged Liano with first-degree murder. according to CBS News. (RELATED: Texas Authorities Arrest Illegal Immigrant who is a “Most Wanted” Criminal).
Riano Said WKRC-TV He said he became a police officer because “he wanted to help the people of Mexico.”
Former Deputy Sheriff Paul Newton worked on Liano's case in 2005 before moving to the Butler County Prosecutor's Office, WKRC reported. Newton then began working on the case again in January 2024.
Newton searched the internet for the fugitive and quickly found him on Facebook, the media reported.
“At first I was speechless, and then the next thing that came to my mind was, 'I've got you!'” he told WKRC.
According to WKRC, the December 2004 shooting happened at the Roundhouse Bar in Hamilton. Liano and Becerra got into an argument that later took place outside the bar. Security camera footage showed a man believed to be Liano shooting the victim in the face, killing him, the outlet reported.
Police found the alleged murder weapon in Reano's home and also obtained video footage of him buying ammunition just hours before the incident, WKRC reported.
