A fugitive, Antonio Rios, 26, who fled to Mexico after a 2022 murder in Phoenix has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.
According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, the 26-year-old Rios was sentenced for killing Jose Juan Lopez after pleading guilty to Second Degree Murder, a Class One Dangerous Felony.
In June 2022, Rios shot and killed Lopez following an argument in the parking lot of a bar near 51st Avenue and West McDowell Road in Phoenix. As the bar was closing, Rios tried to convince a woman to leave with him. Lopez, who was a friend of the woman, intervened and told Rios to leave her alone. Rios then retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and fired toward Lopez and the woman.
Lopez ran from the parking lot, firing back as he fled. Lopez suffered a gunshot wound to the leg as he fled and limped into another area of the parking lot, where Rios pursued him in his vehicle. From the driver’s seat, Rios shot Lopez and then fired again after Lopez fell to the ground. Lopez was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and died several days later.
Following the shooting, Rios fled to Mexico, where he remained a fugitive for more than three years. In September 2025, he was extradited from Nogales, Mexico, to Arizona to face charges.
“For more than three years, Rios thought he could outrun justice by hiding across the border. He was wrong,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “This office does not give up on bringing violent offenders back to face the consequences of their actions, no matter how long it takes.”
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