According to court records, a Florida man will spend the rest of his life in prison after shooting his father-in-law to death in front of a 15-year-old boy.
Ruben Pioquinto, 32, was found guilty in November of second-degree murder in the death of Anderson Guerra Rivera, 33, in 2022. The defendant received a life sentence from a judge on Friday, according to court records.
The investigation began on January 19, 2022, when the victim’s family contacted the Bradenton Police Department to report him missing and “possibly murdered,” according to a probable cause arrest affidavit.
The victim’s stepson, a 15-year-old witness, told police that Pioquinto killed Guerra Rivera the night before. He stated that Pioquinto was driving with the victim in the passenger seat and him in the backseat.
Pioquinto fired shots in the air while driving, pointing the gun at another man outside the car who the boy did not know. Later, Pioquinto pointed his gun at Guerra Rivera. According to the Bradenton Herald, Pioquinto placed the gun to the victim’s head and asked him, “Are you afraid of dying?” When Guerra Rivera said no, Pioquinto pulled the trigger and shot him in the head.
“Point blank range, cold-blooded killing,” Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells told reporters at the time.
Pioquinto drove away with the boy and the victim’s body in the front seat, according to cops. The defendant drove to a bridge in the 5600 block of Palmetto’s US Highway 19.
Pioquinto pulled over and “ordered” the boy to move Guerra Rivera’s body from the truck to the side of the road. The defendant brandished a gun at the boy, threatening to kill him if he told anyone.
Pioquinto slapped and attempted to bite the boy while driving, according to police.
They returned home, and Pioquinto instructed the boy to lie down on the couch so “he could keep an eye on him.” The boy fell asleep, and the following morning, a family member inquired about his stepfather. The boy then opened up about the events of the previous night.
A jury found the defendant guilty after a four-day trial in November.
