You have reached your maximum number of articles. Log in or create an account FREE of charge to continue reading.
By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.
Please enter a valid email address.
American detectives used social media to track a fugitive to Oaxaca, Mexico, 20 years after he allegedly shot a man dead outside an Ohio bar – and there learned that he’d picked up an unexpected new job, becoming a police officer himself.
Antonio “El Diablo” Riano, now 62, was charged with first-degree murder, arrested in Zapotitlan Palmas and handed over to U.S. Marshals in Mexico City on Thursday, the agency wrote in a news release.
Advertisement
Riano fled Ohio after allegedly shooting 25-year-old Benjamin Becarra on Dec. 19, 2004, outside the Roundhouse Bar in Hamilton, Ohio, about 30 miles north of Cincinnati.
Witnesses said Riano and Becarra got into an argument inside the bar – when the dispute moved outside, a security camera allegedly caught Riano fatally shooting the other man in the face.
OHIO MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR MURDERING HIS 3 YOUNG SONS AT THEIR HOME
Antonio Riano is pictured in his most recent mugshot, taken last week after his 20 years on the run came to an end.(Butler County Sheriff’s Office)
“When Riano was arrested in Mexico he was found to be working as a local police officer,” the U.S. Marshals office said. A photo snapped of the fugitive as he was taken into custody shows him wearing his police uniform.
Advertisement
As the 62-year-old was taken into custody at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, a reporter with WKRC-TV asked why he became a police officer. In Spanish, he replied that he “wanted to help the people of Mexico.”
OHIO DETECTIVE BRINGS DOWN ‘LADYKILLER’ SHAWN GRATE WITH 33-HOUR INTERROGATION: ‘A HUNGER TO KILL’
When asked by the station if he had killed Becarra, he replied, “No, I did not.”
Obtaining an indictment for Riano was simple, police told the outlet – Butler County sheriff’s deputies said they found security footage of him buying bullets a few hours before the shooting at an area Walmart, and the murder weapon stashed under the floorboards in his Ohio home.
“We had all the evidence we needed gathered,” Mark Henson, a detective who was on the case in 2004, told WKRC. “We already had a direct indictment against him. It was just a matter of waiting to find him.”
Advertisement
GEORGIA GIRL, 12, MISSING SINCE MAY, FOUND SAFE IN OHIO; SUSPECT ARRESTED
Antonio Riano in a 2004 mugshot.(Butler County Sheriff’s Office)
Henson said he tracked Riano to New Jersey, where he had a sister, before hearing that he’d fled to his hometown of Oaxaca.
“Not going to lie, at that time I was wondering if we were ever going to see him again,” Henson told WKRC-TV.
Before his capture, Riano was on the Butler County Sheriff’s Office “Most Wanted” list, and was even profiled on an episode of “America’s Most Wanted.”
Advertisement
Authorities started “actively looking” for Riano in January of this year, according to Paul Newton, a former deputy on the case who currently works for the Butler County Prosecutor’s Office.
Zapotitlan Palmas Police Department in Oaxaca.(Google Maps)
They quickly stumbled upon his Facebook page, learning that he was now employed as a police officer with the Zapotitlan Palmas Police Department and living in Oaxaca.
“I’m like, ‘My God, there he is!’” Newton told WKRC. “A little bit grayer, a little bit older, but it was him.”
Advertisement
When he fled the country, Riano left a wife and three children behind in Ohio, WKRC reported. Becarra’s family has been notified of Riano’s arrest and extradition, according to the outlet.
In a wooded site along the west shore of the Missouri River, an engineering marvel was taking shape one afternoon in March that will eventually help provide fresh water to hundreds of thousands of people.
Contractors hired by the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System had positioned 16-foot concrete rings above a structure known as a Ranney well that will draw water from an aquifer 140 feet below the surface. To form the sides of the giant well, workers jam several of the sleeves into the caisson structure that collects water through a series of pipes that extend outward at the bottom.
The new well is part of a $150 million expansion of the Lewis & Clark system that provides 44 million gallons of treated Missouri River water each day to 350,000 people in 20 communities in eastern South Dakota and parts of Iowa and Minnesota.
Advertisement
The construction is part of a wide-scale increase in water service capacity now underway in South Dakota, where water managers of several systems are implementing plans to serve the state for the next 40 to 50 years.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – The Green Bay Packers are boosting support for girls flag football in Wisconsin high schools, awarding $100,000 in grants to help schools launch new teams.
The team said 20 schools across the state were selected to receive $5,000 each to start girls flag football programs.
Six of the grant recipients are in our area: Freedom High School, Green Bay East, Kimberly, Little Chute, Neenah and Southern Door.
Along with the funding, the Packers are also providing participating schools with protective headbands and a flag football equipment starter kit to help new programs get started.
Advertisement
The goal is to build momentum for girls flag football as participation grows, with the long-term aim of the sport becoming a sanctioned Wisconsin high school sport.
Applications are already open for next year’s round of grants.
For generations of Detroiters, the Dakota Inn Rathskeller has been more than a bar—it’s been a ritual. A place where communal tables, steins raised high, and the familiar sound of German folk songs have created a sense of belonging that transcends time. Now, as the city continues its cultural resurgence, the Dakota Inn is entering a bold new chapter—one that honors its storied past while opening the doors to an entirely new kind of experience.
This summer, the transformation is unmistakable.
At the heart of the revival is a sprawling outdoor Biergarten—an ambitious expansion that reimagines the Dakota Inn as both a neighborhood anchor and a destination venue. Designed to evoke the charm of traditional European beer gardens while embracing Detroit’s gritty, creative energy, the space invites guests to linger. Long wooden tables stretch beneath open skies, string lights glow into the evening, and the hum of conversation blends with live music and clinking glasses. It’s communal, celebratory, and distinctly Detroit.
But the evolution doesn’t stop with beer.
The Dakota Inn is broadening its cultural reach with a thoughtfully curated lineup of events that extend far beyond its traditional roots. Jazz & Film Nights promise to turn warm evenings into immersive experiences, pairing live performances with classic and contemporary cinema. The concept feels both nostalgic and fresh—an echo of Detroit’s rich musical heritage layered with a modern, cinematic sensibility.
Photo Courtesy of the Dakota Inn
Wine tastings, too, are joining the calendar, signaling a more expansive approach to hospitality. These events aim to attract a wider audience while maintaining the venue’s approachable, convivial spirit. Whether you’re a seasoned enthusiast or simply curious, the goal is the same: bring people together around shared experiences.
And then there’s soccer.
With World Cup excitement on the horizon, the Dakota Inn is positioning itself as one of the city’s premier gathering spots for international watch parties. The Biergarten will come alive with fans from all backgrounds, united by the universal language of the game. Large screens, cold drinks, and a festival-like atmosphere will transform match days into something closer to a civic celebration than a simple viewing.
Advertisement
What makes this moment particularly compelling is the balance being struck. The Dakota Inn isn’t abandoning its identity—it’s expanding it. The familiar sing-alongs, the old-world décor, the sense of history etched into the walls—all of that remains. But now, it exists alongside new programming that reflects the diversity and dynamism of Detroit itself.
Photo Courtesy of the Dakota Inn
This is not a reinvention for reinvention’s sake. It’s a thoughtful evolution, rooted in the belief that historic spaces can—and should—adapt to the communities they serve.
On any given summer night, you might find a table of old friends singing a German drinking song, a couple discovering the space for the first time over a glass of wine, or a crowd gathered around a screen, erupting in cheers as a goal is scored thousands of miles away. Different scenes, different energies—but all part of the same story.
A new day has arrived at the Dakota Inn Rathskeller, and if this summer is any indication, its next chapter may be its most vibrant yet.
