A traffic stop resulted in the arrest of a man wanted in connection with a murder case that dates back to nearly two years.
In a video statement, Sheriff Al Nienhuis said that on Dec. 26, law enforcement personnel from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) responded to a call reporting a death that could have been the result of a drug overdose.
After the medical examiner ruled that fentanyl poisoning was the cause of the death, detectives from the HCSO major crimes and narcotics units launched an investigation into the case.
During a Nov. 10 traffic stop detectives arrested Mario Diorio, 40, in connection with the death. . At the same time, they found 33.6 grams of fentanyl and 1.9 grams of cocaine. “Depending on the strength of that fentanyl that could be thousands of overdose deaths waiting to happen,” Nienhuis said. Diorio was booked into the Hernando County Detention Center and charged with one court of first degree murder as well as with several drug-related charges.
In announcing the arrest, Nienhuis vowed to make drug dealers accountable for drug-related deaths.
“If you are selling hard drugs in Hernando County it is very likely that you’re going to kill somebody, we’re going to do our best to hold those murderers accountable for the deaths of those individuals,” he said. “You can rest assured that it may take a couple of years to develop a case , but we will arrest you for murder if we’re able to.”
The case against Diorio is pending.
