‘Cold-blood killing.’ Bradenton man shot father-in-law in front of young teen, sheriff says

Jessica De Leon
·2 min read

After arguing with his father-in-law, a Bradenton man took out a gun while driving, shot him dead and dumped his body alongside a road near the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve and the Sunshine Skyway bridge on Tuesday night, sheriff’s officials said.

Sitting in the backseat, a 15-year-old relative witnessed the “cold-blood killing,” Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said on Wednesday morning.

The sheriff’s office is not yet identifying the victim, citing Florida’s Marsy’s Law.

Reuben Pioquinto, 29, was arrested hours later and is facing murder charges.

Pioquinto and his father-in-law had been arguing throughout the day, Wells said at a news conference, adding that detectives still don’t know the extent of their arguments.

The two men and teen went out for a drive about 8 p.m. Tuesday when Pioquinto and his father-in-law began to argue again, the boy told detectives.

When they were approaching the Circle K, 904 30th Ave. E., Bradenton, Pioquinto shot his father-in-law at “point blank range” in the truck, Well said, and then drove toward Terra Ceia. He dumped the body along the road in the 200 block of 77th Street East in Palmetto.

Pioquinto and the teen then drove back to their home at in the 300 block of 21st Avenue West in Bradenton.

“He then threatened this 15-year-old witness that if he says anything to any family members that he will kill him as well,” Wells said.

Pioquinto passed out on the couch, but a few hours later, other relatives in the home were asking where the victim was. They woke up the boy, who was visibly distraught, and he told them what happened earlier that night.

They all came out of the home, leaving the suspect alone. Deputies arrived and surrounded the house and called out for him to surrender.

Pioquinto came out of the home before the SWAT team arrived and was taken into custody.

He had not yet been booked into the Manatee County jail by mid-morning Thursday, after being questioned by detectives.

“My thoughts go back to the 15-year-old. This young kid who is sitting in the backseat, unaware of anything is going to take place. And to see that happen right in front of you. He is going to traumatized for the rest of his life,” Wells said.

01/19/2021—Manatee County Sheriff’s detectives work at the scene in Palmetto where a man’s body was found. Ruben Gutierrez Pioquinto is facing murder charges after the sheriff’s Office says he shot a 33-year-old man dead and dumped his body by the side of the road on 77th Street East in Palmetto.
01/19/2021—Manatee County Sheriff’s detectives work at the scene in Palmetto where a man’s body was found. Ruben Gutierrez Pioquinto is facing murder charges after the sheriff’s Office says he shot a 33-year-old man dead and dumped his body by the side of the road on 77th Street East in Palmetto.
01/19/2021—Manatee County Sheriff’s detectives work at the scene in Palmetto where a man’s body was found. Ruben Gutierrez Pioquinto is facing murder charges after the sheriff’s Office says he shot a 33-year-old man dead and dumped his body by the side of the road on 77th Street East in Palmetto.
01/19/2021—Manatee County Sheriff’s detectives work at the scene in Palmetto where a man’s body was found. Ruben Gutierrez Pioquinto is facing murder charges after the sheriff’s Office says he shot a 33-year-old man dead and dumped his body by the side of the road on 77th Street East in Palmetto.
01/19/2021—Ruben Gutierrez Pioquinto is facing murder charges after the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office says he shot a 33-year-old man dead and dumped his body by the side of the road on 77th Street East in Palmetto. Crime scene tape was bundled into the trash cans in front of the victim’s home in Bradenton.
01/19/2021—Ruben Gutierrez Pioquinto is facing murder charges after the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office says he shot a 33-year-old man dead and dumped his body by the side of the road on 77th Street East in Palmetto. Crime scene tape was bundled into the trash cans in front of the victim’s home in Bradenton.
01/19/2021—Manatee County Sheriff’s detectives at the scene in Palmetto where a man’s body was found. Ruben Gutierrez Pioquinto is facing murder charges after the sheriff’s Office says he shot a 33-year-old man dead and dumped his body by the side of the radon 77th Street East in Palmetto.
01/19/2021—Manatee County Sheriff’s detectives at the scene in Palmetto where a man’s body was found. Ruben Gutierrez Pioquinto is facing murder charges after the sheriff’s Office says he shot a 33-year-old man dead and dumped his body by the side of the radon 77th Street East in Palmetto.
01/19/2021—Manatee County Sheriff’s crime scene personnel gathers crime scene tape at the scene in Palmetto where a man’s body was found. Ruben Gutierrez Pioquinto is facing murder charges after the sheriff’s Office says he shot a 33-year-old man dead and dumped his body by the side of the road on 77th Street East in Palmetto.
01/19/2021—Manatee County Sheriff’s crime scene personnel gathers crime scene tape at the scene in Palmetto where a man’s body was found. Ruben Gutierrez Pioquinto is facing murder charges after the sheriff’s Office says he shot a 33-year-old man dead and dumped his body by the side of the road on 77th Street East in Palmetto.