The Venezuelan illegal alien who has been arrested and charged with the murder of the 22 year-old University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley has been accused of beating her so badly that he “seriously” disfigured her skull.
Illegal Alien Charged With Brutally Murdering Riley
The New York Post reported that Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, is not believed to have known Riley before he allegedly kidnapped and killed her as she went for a run on her college campus last Thursday. While her cause of death had previously only been listed as blunt force trauma, new documents state that Ibarra caused “great bodily harm with an object” without going into further detail.
Ibarra has also been charged with aggravated battery for “seriously disfiguring her body … by disfiguring her skull,” according to an affidavit obtained by Fox News. This affidavit states that the illegal immigrant has additionally been charged with preventing Riley “from making or completing a 911 call” with “intent to harm” when he kidnapped her as she jogged.
After killing Riley, Ibarra is accused of dragging her body to a secluded area, with the affidavit supporting a charge for concealing the student’s death.
Riley’s murder took place between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. last Thursday, and her roommate called police when she didn’t return from an early morning run. University of Georgia police officers discovered her body in a wooded area along a trail by the school’s intramural fields just before 1 p.m. that afternoon.
ICE Reveals Ibarra’s History
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokeswoman Lindsay Williams told The Daily Beast that Ibarra is a Venezuelan national who crossed into the U.S. near El Paso, Texas in 2022. After being “paroled and released for further processing,” Ibarra headed to New York City, where he was arrested the next year.
“He was released by the NYPD before a detainer could be issued,” Williams added.
Ibarra reportedly lives in an apartment with his brother just one mile from where Riley was murdered. Both Ibarra and his brother are currently being held without bond at the Athens-Clarke County Jail.
U.S. Rep. Houston Gaines (R-Ga.) took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, on Monday to claim that Ibarra was wanted on an arrest warrant in Georgia for blowing off a shoplifting court appearance in December.
“ICE confirmed what we already know: Jose Ibarra was in the country illegally,” Gaines wrote. “What the media hasn’t reported was that he was cited in Athens for shoplifting in Oct. — & there was a bench warrant for his arrest for failing to show in court.”
Related: Illegal Immigrant Jose Ines Garcia Zarate Found ‘Not Guilty’ In Murder of Kate Steinle
Riley’s Loved Ones Mourn Her
Riley Riley had transferred from the University of Georiga to the nearby Augusta University School of Nursing last year.
“Laken was an amazing daughter, sister, friend and overall person in general. Her love for the Lord was exemplified in every aspect of her life,” her family said in a statement. “She will be missed every day, but we promise to honor her life moving forward in a very big way.”
“During this most difficult time, we ask that you respect our privacy, and provide us the time and space necessary to grieve our daughter’s life that was tragically cut short,” they added.
Riley will be honored at a funeral on Friday.
This is sadly what happens when our border is as open as it has been under President Joe Biden. The media will undoubtedly try to sweep Riley’s murder under the rug as much as they possibly can, but it can’t be denied that her blood is partly on Biden’s hands.
Please join us in saying a prayer for Riley’s loved ones during this tragic time.
Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”