Cincinnati police are still searching for a 32-year-old man wanted on a murder charge nearly a year after a deadly shooting followed a heated argument on the city’s west side. Investigators say Edinson Antoni Guaita Ascanio remains at large and should be considered armed and dangerous.
According to WKRC, homicide investigators say a verbal altercation ended in a fatal shooting nearly a year ago, when Ascanio shot the victim with a firearm, causing fatal injuries. Police describe Ascanio as 5 feet 8 inches tall and 160 pounds, and say he has no known criminal history. He was last known to live on Iliff Avenue in Price Hill.
The shooting happened in the 5000 block of Hawaiian Terrace at approximately 4 a.m., per WCPO, which identified the victim as 26-year-old Jhonny Jesus Merado-Perez. Earlier reporting from the same station that first broke the case spelled the victim’s name differently, as Jhonny Mercado-Perez, 26, and said he was shot and killed at about 4 a.m. on Hawaiian Terrace during a party on October 12, 2025. Witnesses told police that Ascanio shot Mercado-Perez, who was unarmed, during an argument at the gathering, that earlier report said.
No Criminal Record, Still Considered Dangerous
What stands out in the case is the gap between Ascanio’s background and the severity of the charge against him. Police say he has no known criminal history, yet he remains wanted on a murder charge and is to be treated as armed and dangerous should anyone encounter him. Investigators have not said what prompted the argument that preceded the shooting…