BRADENTON, FL – A Florida man has been sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting his father-in-law in front of a teenager and abandoning the victim’s body on the side of a highway, court records show.
Ruben Pioquinto, 32, learned his fate Friday after being found guilty by a jury in November for the murder of 33-year-old Anderson Guerra Rivera. The fatal shooting took place in January 2022 and was witnessed by Guerra Rivera’s 15-year-old stepson, according to authorities.
Investigators said the case began on Jan. 19, 2022, when family members contacted Bradenton police to report Guerra Rivera missing and potentially the victim of foul play. The teenager, who was present at the time of the incident, provided police with key details that helped lead to the arrest.
According to police reports, Pioquinto was driving his truck with Guerra Rivera riding in the passenger seat and the teenager in the back. While on the road, Pioquinto discharged his firearm multiple times into the air and aimed the weapon at another person outside the vehicle, the boy told police.
Shortly after, the armed driver turned his attention to Guerra Rivera. According to investigators, Pioquinto leveled the gun at his father-in-law and asked if he was afraid to die. When Rivera replied that he was not, Pioquinto shot him in the head at close range.
Authorities say Pioquinto continued driving with the deceased in the passenger seat and the teenager in the back. The journey ended on a bridge along U.S. Highway 19 in Palmetto, where Pioquinto allegedly forced the teenager to drag the body from the truck to the roadside. He then threatened the boy’s life if he revealed what happened.
During the drive back home, police records indicate Pioquinto assaulted the teenager, slapping him and attempting to bite him. Back at the house, Pioquinto ordered the boy to rest on the couch, claiming it was so he could keep watch over him.
It wasn’t until the following morning, when family members inquired about Guerra Rivera’s whereabouts, that the terrified teenager told them the details of the shooting and dumping of the body. Police were then notified, and the investigation quickly zeroed in on Pioquinto.
After hearing decisive testimony and reviewing evidence during a four-day trial, jurors returned a second-degree murder conviction in November. The life sentence delivered Friday ensures Pioquinto will not be eligible for release.
Court documents and officials have described the act as a cold-blooded, execution-style killing that left a family and community reeling.