Opinion
The Venezuelan illegal alien arrested and charged with the murder of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old University of Georgia nursing student, was accused of beating her so severely that he “severely” disfigured her skull.
Illegal alien accused of brutally killing Riley
The New York Post reported that Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, is believed not to have known Riley before he allegedly kidnapped and killed her as she went for a run on the college campus last Thursday. While her cause of death had previously been listed only as blunt force trauma, new documents say Ibarra caused “serious bodily harm with an object” without going into further detail.
Ibarra was also charged with aggravated battery for “severely disfiguring his body … disfiguring his skull,” according to an affidavit obtained by Fox News. This affidavit states that the illegal immigrant was also accused of preventing Riley “from making or completing a 911 call” with “intent to harm” when he abducted her while she was jogging.
After killing Riley, Ibarra is accused of dragging his body to a secluded area, with the affidavit alleging she covered up the student’s death.
Riley’s murder occurred between 9am and 1pm 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 near the school’s intramural fields just before 1 p.m. that afternoon.
Related Article: Trump calls today “National Day of Remembrance” for Americans who were murdered by illegal immigrants
ICE reveals Ibarra’s story
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokeswoman Lindsay Williams told the Daily Beast that Ibarra is a Venezuelan citizen who entered the United States near El Paso, Texas, in 2022. After being “paroled and released for further treatments,” Ibarra headed to New York City. , where he was arrested the following year.
“He was released by the NYPD before he was issued a warrant,” Williams added.
Ibarra reportedly lives in an apartment with his brother just a mile from where Riley was murdered. Both Ibarra and his brother are currently being held without bond in 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 say that Ibarra was wanted on an arrest warrant in Georgia for refusing an appearance in court for shoplifting in December.
“ICE confirmed what we already know: Jose Ibarra was in the country illegally,” Gaines wrote. “What the media didn’t report was that he was cited in Athens for shoplifting in October – and there was a warrant out for his arrest for failing to appear in court.”
Related: Illegal immigrant Jose Ines Garcia Zarate found ‘not guilty’ in Kate Steinle murder
Riley’s loved ones mourn her
Riley Riley transferred from Georiga University to the nearby Augusta University School of Nursing last year.
“Laken was an amazing daughter, sister, friend and overall person. Her love for the Lord was exemplified in every aspect of her life,” her family said in a statement. “We will miss her every day, but we promise to honor her life moving forward in style. .”
“During this difficult time, we ask that you respect our privacy and provide us with the time and space necessary to mourn our daughter’s life which was tragically cut short,” they added.
Riley will be honored at a funeral Friday.
This is unfortunately what happens when our border is as open as it was under President Joe Biden. The media will no doubt try to sweep Riley’s murder under the rug as much as possible, but there is no denying that his blood is partly on Biden’s hands.
Please join us in saying a prayer for Riley’s loved ones during this tragic time.
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