Court documents reveal new details in the tragic death of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student in Georgia.
Riley was murdered while jogging on a scenic route near her University of Georgia campus.
Police have arrested Jose Antonia Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, in connection with the crime. According to the affidavit, Ibarra is charged with malice murder, murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and concealing the death of another, as well as the misdemeanor of physically hindering a 911 call.
Court documents show that Riley experienced an exceptionally violent encounter. Riley’s skull was reportedly “disfigured” due to repeated blunt-force trauma.
The affidavit reads: Ibarra “did commit the offense of aggravated battery when he maliciously causes bodily harm to another by seriously disfiguring her body or a member thereof by disfiguring her skull.”
#BreakingNews SAD DAY
— The Libertarian Conservative (@Mesianicmom) February 27, 2024
Jose Antonio Ibarra beat Laken Riley so brutally that he disfigured her skull according to autopsy reports
This human should of never been in the United States period. Now someone has lost their family member pic.twitter.com/dwBLanLjZk
Here is the Mayor of Athens, 5 years ago, declaring Athens a Sanctuary City
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) February 28, 2024
Laken Riley’s skull was just disfigured by an illegal who slaughtered her while out for a jog pic.twitter.com/dUyKzb1Vbr
The arrest affidavit accuses Ibarra of attacking Riley as she jogged alone on the well-used trail, “dragging the victim to a secluded area.”
Campus security reportedly found Riley’s body “in the woods” at approximately 1 p.m. on February 22.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have confirmed that Ibarra was an illegal immigrant, has a criminal past, and had been previously apprehended by ICE and New York Police Department officials but was released due to the Biden administration’s “catch and release” policy.
In addition to having reportedly committed a violent crime on a minor in New York City, Athens-Clarke County Police Department alleged to Fox News Digital that Ibarra had been cited for shoplifting in Athens-Clarke County on Oct. 27, 2023, and had an outstanding bench warrant in the county for failing to appear in court on the shoplifting charges.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has pushed the Biden administration to take responsibility for policies that contribute to violence on American citizens. Further, Kemp demanded White House officials respond to “questions surrounding the immigration status and asylum claims of the suspect’s brother.”
Kemp said: “Laken Riley’s tragic death struck the hearts of Georgians everywhere and has rightfully sparked national outrage. As I have said many times before: every state is now a border state because of Joe Biden’s inaction, and today I am again demanding answers and information from the Biden administration that will help us protect our citizens when the federal government will not.”
RTM reported that the wife of Jose Ibarra, Layling Franko, 23, told the New York Post that she and her 5-year-old son were in an El Paso facility for five days before traveling to the sanctuary city of New York.
“We got married so we could join our asylum cases,” Franko told the Post.
Speaking of how her husband was “gentle,” Franko said: “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,” she added. “I want to talk to [Jose],” she said. “I have a lot of faith that this wasn’t him, that there was a misunderstanding somewhere.”
Jose’s brother, Diego Ibarra, is also reportedly in this country illegally and suspected of having committed murder.
Venezuelan man charged with possessing fake green card connected with UGA homicide
— Janay (@kwcountygal) February 27, 2024
The man, identified as Diego Ibarra, also happens to be the brother of the suspect charged with murdering a woman on University of Georgia's Athens campus, 26-year-old Jose https://t.co/p6uiHUKaHL
#Breaking New: Newly released documents show that Laken Riley attempted to call police during her attack. Police are refusing to release the recording of the call. No authorities traced the call to find her.
— 🇺🇸Travis🇺🇸 (@Travis_in_Flint) February 28, 2024
Police didn’t begin looking until after a friend reported her… pic.twitter.com/iarZQLo8hh