A man whose nickname is the Spanish word for “devil” shot a bar patron to death near Cincinnati, Ohio, nearly two decades ago – then fled to Mexico to become a police officer, investigators recently alleged.

Antonio “El Diablo” Riano, 72, was ultimately captured in the south-western Mexican town of Zapotitlán Palmas and was returned to the US on 1 August to face charges of murder.

A reporter for a Cincinnati CBS-affiliated station approached Riano as federal marshals handed him off to local authorities. When asked what drove him to embark on his career as a police officer, he said: “I wanted to help the people of Mexico.”

Riano’s arrest ended the search for a fugitive who had long been considered one of the most wanted not only in Ohio – but also in America.