University of Augusta, Athens nursing student, Laken Riley, 22, police said was killed by ‘blunt force trauma’

Her battered body was found Thursday, Feb 22, after her friend reported her missing when she didn’t return from her morning jog  

Suspect Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela is charged in the death of Riley

Ibarra has been charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another

It’s revealed he had a prior arrest for endangering the welfare of a child in NYC, but released him before an ICE detainer could be issued, as New York is a sanctuary city

ICE confirming that the suspect is a Venezuelan migrant, not a United States citizen, has now lodged a detainer against Ibarra

Venezuelan immigrant Jose Antonio Ibarra, [L-R], has been charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping for allegedly murdering Laken Riley, 22, at the University of Augusta, Athens

The man suspected of killing student nurse Laken Riley, 22, in Athens, Georgia, last week had previously been arrested by police in New York City last September. 
Alleged killer, Jose Antonio Ibarra, ICE said is an illegal immigrant from Venezuela who arrived in the country two years earlier, but now living in Athens.
Ibarra, 26, was charged in Riley’s killing with felony murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping and concealing the death of another and was denied bond on Saturday morning.

 University of Augusta, Athens Campus victim, Laken Riley, [photo], police said was killed by ‘blunt force trauma’

Police said the bubbly nursing student went for a jog in a wooded area on the University of Augusta, Athens campus when she was attacked and killed shortly after 12:30 p.m.
Detectives launched a homicide investigation and filed murder charges against Ibarra, who had no known connection to Riley.
Riley’s body was found with “visible injuries” on a trail by Lake Herrick on the nearby University of Georgia campus on February 22, after a friend became worried when she didn’t return from her morning run.
Ibarra police believe “did not know her at all. I think this is a crime of opportunity where he saw an individual and bad things happened.”
Ibarra was arrested Friday and is being held without bail.

Ibarra who posted several photos on his Facebook from a recent trip to New York City. He’d been arrested in the city back in September 2023, but was released by NYPD before ICE obtained a detainer order

The accused killer entered the US illegally in El Paso, Texas, on September 8, 2022, with his wife and her son seeking asylum. At the time he was released in US due to lack of detention space. He was released “for further processing,” ICE had said. That is, until his current arrest for murder.
Ironically, just five months ago, Ibarra was arrested and charged ‘with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation,’ according to ICE.
He wound up in New York City, where he worked in food delivery and at a restaurant.
However, New York police released the suspect ‘before a detainer could be issued,’ the agency said. 
It should be noted that New York City is also a ‘sanctuary city,’ which usually restricts law enforcement from complying with ICE detainers. 

Layling Franco, [right], said she was surprised to hear her husband Francesco Ibarra, [left], has named as the suspect suspect in the murder at UGA. She has said he ‘should face the consequences’ if found guilty

Ibarra, who is married to Layling Franco, had been working for DoorDash, Uber Eats and a local restaurant in New York, at the time of his arrest for endangering the welfare of a child after he was caught in Queens, riding a gas-powered moped with his wife’s son on the back, without any helmet or restraint for the child.
On Sunday, ICE confirmed that Ibarra is a Venezuelan migrant who is not a United States citizen. 
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations’ Atlanta Field Office has since lodged a detainer against Ibarra following his arrest on Friday.
The suspect is currently being held at the Clarke County Jail.

Authorities confirmed that Ibarra is not a US citizen. It is not known that he had any kind of relationship with Riley and how they made contact

Murder suspect, Jose Antonio Ibarra, of Athens, GA, seen here in some of his TikTok videos, is accused of murdering nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus in Athens

Jose Antonio Ibarra, [L-R], of Athens, GA, has been charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another

Prior to his arrest Ibarra who is very active on social media, had posted photos on social media chronicling his tour of sites in the NYC. Franco expressed her surprise to hear her husband was the alleged suspect in the Georgia campus murder case.
‘I have a lot of faith that this wasn’t him, that there was a misunderstanding somewhere. But if he did, he has to pay for what he did, truly,’ Franco said.
‘We got married so we could join our asylum cases. He was the person I thought I could see through. We’ve known each other our entire lives.
‘He wasn’t aggressive, none of that,’ Franco insisted. ‘We had problems as a couple but our problems weren’t physical. We wouldn’t punch but we’d raise our voices.’

Laken Riley, [photo], 22, was a student was a 2022 graduate the University of Georgia who transferred to nearby Augusta University in 2022

Grieving mom Allyson Phillips, [right], has posted several photos and videos over the years of the entire family, including Riley [center] 

Riley was found dead in a wooded area near Lake Herrick on Thursday afternoon.
‘We wish to thank the public for their prayers and thoughts during this tragic time,’ the devastated family said in a statement.
‘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. 
‘She will be missed every day, but we promise to honor her life moving forward in a very big way.
They added: ‘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.’ 
Riley was reported missing after he concerned roommate told police she had not returned from a jog. 
She was killed by ‘blunt force trauma,’ police confirmed.
‘The individual was unconscious and not breathing and had visible injuries,’ UGA Police Chief Jeffrey L. Clark said in a statement. 

Police search a wooded area at the University of Georgia after the shock discovery of Riley’s battered, unconscious form on Thursday

Ibarra, it has been confirmed, had been released from a detention center due to a lack of space, after illegally crossing into El Paso, Texas in September 2022
With his trail of arrests, some now, including Republican Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, are calling for the suspect to receive the death penalty.
‘Ibarra is an illegal alien and murdered a young woman the age of my own children. Deportation is not enough. He deserves the death penalty,’ the Georgia representative said in a post on X.
‘You want to break in our country, ILLEGALLY, and murder one of our girls. DEATH PENALTY!’ She added in another.

Venezuelan immigrant Jose Antonio Ibarra who was active on social media, seen [right], in one of his TikTok videos on a trip to New York and [left], on Facebook prior to his arrest. That account is now deactivated

UGA nursing student, Laken Riley, [photo], 22, was found dead Thursday, Feb 22, afternoon after her roommate reported her missing, saying she had not returned from her jog

UGA have said that Laken Riley graduated from the school in 2023, before enrolling at Augusta University’s nursing program. Officials have confirmed that Ibarra did not know or have any kind of relationship with Riley 

Police said that he did not know the victim and the crime was a ‘random, solo act.’
UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark said Thursday that evidence from a search of Ibarra’s apartment in Athens shows that he acted alone. 
‘[Ibarra] did not know her at all. I think this is a crime of opportunity where he saw an individual and bad things happened,’ Clark said.  ‘The evidence is robust. It is supported by key input by the community, physical evidence and expert police work. Importantly, we were assisted by video footage from our campus security cameras network.’
Riley, a senior nursing student enrolled at Augusta University College of Nursing at Athens, grew up in Woodstock, Georgia. Prior to enrolling in the nursing program, she earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia in 2023.