(NewsWorthy.news) – A grand jury in Georgia has indicted the illegal immigrant accused of murdering a university student over another alleged offense.
On May 7 Jose Ibarra, 26, a Venezuelan native, was indicted on 10 counts according to court documents. The illegal immigrant is accused of murdering Laken Riley, 22, on February 22 when she was out jogging in woods on the University of Georgia campus. Ibarra was indicted by the grand jury on counts relating to kidnapping, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, attempted rape and malice murder.
The suspect allegedly killed Riley by inflicting blunt force trauma to her skull and suffocating her using a method “unknown to jurors”, as stated in the indictment. Ibarra faces a separate accusation that he peeped through a window to spy on a member of staff at the university on the same day he allegedly murdered Riley by battering her several times using a rock. Ibarra is also charged with obstructing a person from making a 911 call and tampering with evidence. According to police he hid a pair of gloves and a jacket that were linked to the murder.
The body of Riley was discovered on the same day of her murder on a trail by Lake Herrick that is well-used by walkers and runners. Ibarra was charged in February 2024. The suspect’s brother, Diego Jose Ibarra, was also apprehended over allegedly using a fraudulent ID card, and is linked to a Venezuelan gang according to court documents.
Ibarra previously crossed the border into El Paso, Texas in 2022 but was freed from the detention center because there was not enough space. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Ibarra was previously arrested in New York City. Ibarra had no known connection to the victim, and no history of violent crime either. Police described the murder as a “crime of opportunity”. The UGA has promised to work on safety improvements such as better lighting and security cameras following the student’s murder.
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