An illegal immigrant who was released because of a lack of detention space is now accused of murdering a 22-year-old University of Georgia student after she ran.
Jose Antonio Ibarra was arrested Friday for the murder of Laken Riley in Athens – a sanctuary city – and is currently being held in the Clarke County Jail.
NewsNation reporter Ali Bradley said Ibarra, 26, is originally from Venezuela and traveled to El Paso, Texas, in September 2022.
He was released to the United States by Customs and Border Patrol because the worsening migrant crisis means they don't have enough facilities to hold all the border crossers they intercept. Police do not believe Ibarra knew his victim.
Riley, 22, was found dead Thursday afternoon after her roommate reported her missing and said she had not returned from jogging.
Ibarra was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated murder, aggravated assault, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, obstructing an emergency call and concealing the death of another.
Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, has been identified and charged with the alleged murder of nursing student Laken Riley, 22, at the University of Georgia in Athens
Riley, 22, was found dead Thursday afternoon after her roommate reported her missing and said she had not returned from jogging
He is charged with premeditated murder, aggravated murder, aggravated assault, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, obstructing an emergency call and concealing the death of another
UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark told reporters at a news conference this evening that officers searched Ibarra's Athens apartment and there was evidence he acted alone.
“He didn’t know her at all. “I think this is a crime of opportunity where he saw a person and bad things happened,” Clark said.
“The evidence is robust. It is supported by important community input, physical evidence and expert police work. Importantly, we were supported by video footage from our campus security camera network.”
He pointed out that there was no clear history of violence for the defendant and that his criminal record was not extensive.
According to Fox5, the defendant is expected to be lodged in the Clarke County Jail.
UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark told reporters at a news conference this evening that officers searched Ibarra's Athens apartment and there was evidence he acted alone
Officials confirmed that Ibarra is not a U.S. citizen and did not know or have any relationship with Riley
Officials have confirmed that Ibarra is not a U.S. citizen and did not know or have any relationship with Riley
Riley is seen in a picture posted to her Facebook account last month
The University of Georgia said Riley graduated from school in 2023 and then enrolled in the nursing program at Augusta University, which has a campus in Athens.
UGA has asked students to travel “in groups” and canceled classes after Riley was found dead with “visible injuries” in a wooded area.
Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz said he joined the community in “deep sadness over today's murder” and said the city was working with authorities to “quickly complete” the investigation.
Officers searching the area found the woman's body in a wooded area behind Lake Herrick.
The University of Georgia said Riley graduated from school in 2023 and then enrolled in the nursing program at Augusta University, which has a campus in Athens
Police are searching a wooded area at the University of Georgia following Thursday's shocking discovery
This area is located on a busy street across from a large dormitory and dining hall complex on what is known as the “East Campus.” Most of the students in these dorms are freshmen.
“The last 24 hours have been a traumatic time for our university,” the University of Georgia said in an online statement, acknowledging that the news came just hours after the unrelated “sudden death” of another student the night before.
“And as we continue to mourn this tragic loss of life, today’s devastating news will uniquely test the resolve of our campus community, especially our students.”
“We have been fully informed of this terrible situation,” the statement continued. “There is suspicion of a crime and we are already receiving assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department to investigate this crime.”
“We want to assure you that the safety and well-being of our campus community is our top concern.”
“If you believe you have any information regarding this incident, we urge you to immediately contact the UGA Police Department at 706-542-2200.
“In addition, all students, faculty and staff are encouraged to download and use the UGA Safe app, which provides several important safety features including, but not limited to, emergency notifications and the ability to share real-time location with police.”
“We also recommend traveling in groups if possible and being aware of your surroundings.”
“We are announcing that classes on the Athens campus will be canceled tonight, February 22, after 5:30 p.m. They remain canceled tomorrow.” “We will resume classes on Monday, February 26,” they added.
UGA has asked students to travel “in groups” and canceled classes after Riley was found dead with “visible injuries” in a wooded area. Riley is seen with her parents
Multiple law enforcement agencies observed a crowd at an apartment complex near the wooded area where Riley's body was found
News of the killing came on the same day that House Speaker Mike Johnson sharply criticized President Joe Biden for finally taking executive action to crack down on illegal immigration after millions of migrants have flown in since he took office had flowed into the USA.
Since Biden took office in 2021, over 7.2 million migrants have entered the United States through the southern border.
That's more people than the population of 36 states. Arizona, for example, had a population of 7.1 million, according to the 2020 census.
Upon taking office, President Biden immediately canceled several Trump-era border initiatives, including the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which required migrants seeking asylum to remain in Mexico until their court date in the United States
Biden also stopped construction of the US-Mexico border a few days after taking office.
Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Biden for saying he needed Republicans to fix the border
President Joe Biden said he did everything he could to resolve the border crisis, but now the White House is considering a Trump-like executive action to crack down on migration
Since Biden took office in 2021, over 7.2 million migrants have entered the United States through the southern border
But now the 81-year-old president is reportedly considering whether to take executive action on the border, as polls suggest it is a top issue for voters and lawmakers rejected a negotiated border bill earlier this month have.
He is considering using the Immigration and Nationality Act, which gives a president wide latitude to block the entry of certain immigrants, to close the border if more than 8,500 people try to cross in a day.
The top GOP leader is accusing the president of waiting until the election year to take action, something he should have done months ago. Biden previously said he could not ensure border security without the support of the Republican Party in Congress.
“Americans have lost faith in this president and will not be fooled by election-year shenanigans that fail to truly secure the border,” spokesman Mike Johnson wrote in a statement obtained by .
“Nor will they forget that the president created this disaster and has so far refused to use his executive authority to fix it.”
“These reports also underscore how brazenly and intentionally President Biden misled the public when he claimed that he had done everything in his power to secure the border,” Johnson continued.
The speaker wants Biden to reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy and end the government’s “abuse” of the parole system.