Laken Riley murder: Georgia suspect was arrested in NYC last year
NEW YORK CITY - Police in Georgia have arrested 26-year-old Venezuelan migrant Jose Antonio Ibarra, who was previously arrested in NYC, in connection with the murder of Augusta University student Laken Riley, 22, according to Fox News.
Riley was a Dean’s List student who went out for a run on Thursday and never came back. Her death is renewing calls to fix the crisis at the border.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed to Fox News the NYPD arrested Ibarra back in September and charged him with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation.
Jose Antonio Ibarra (Left), Laken Riley (Right).
One year earlier, Ibarra, a Venezuelan national, had illegally entered the U.S. near El Paso.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, ICE confirmed he had been encountered by Customs and Border Protection on Sept. 8, 2022 after entering near El Paso and was "paroled and released for further processing."
Normally, when a person who allegedly enters the US illegally is arrested on criminal charges, ICE lodges a detainer – a request asking local law enforcement to keep the suspect in custody until they can be transferred to ICE and put into deportation proceedings.
In this case, however, ICE's statement said Ibarra was released before a detainer could be issued.
In its statement, ICE said that its Enforcement and Removal Operations office in Atlanta "encountered Ibarra pursuant to his arrest by the University of Georgia Police Department and being charged with murder and other crimes. ERO Atlanta lodged a detainer."
Ibarra arrested for murder of Riley
Last week, police arrested Ibarra for the murder of Riley, a nursing student at Augusta University. She was found dead near a lake on the campus of the University of Georgia, where she had previously attended.
Riley was found dead near a lake on the campus of the University of Georgia.
Police charged Ibarra with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another, authorities said on Friday, according to our sister station FOX 5 Atlanta.
Ibarra appeared in court on Saturday, but he was not seen on camera. A judge denied his bond. Ibarra’s wife, Layling Franco, 23, of Venezuela, told the New York Post that she and Ibarra married, so they could join their asylum cases.
A judge denied Ibarra's bond in a Saturday court appearance.
Meanwhile, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp laid the blame for the border crisis at President Joe Biden's feet.
"This is an issue that the president can take action on," Kemp said. "And I know he's trying to blame, you know, inaction in Congress, that is passing the buck. We know that there's things that he can do.
FOX 5 Atlanta, as well as FOX News, helped contribute to this report.