CNN
—
Federal authorities on Thursday confirmed the immigration status of a suspect currently in custody as the investigation continues into the death of an Augusta University School of Nursing student on the University of Georgia campus in Athens.
Laken Hope Riley, 22, a junior at Augusta University, was found dead Thursday near a lake on the UGA campus after jogging near it, authorities said.
Jose Antonio Ybarra, 26, of Athens, was charged with felony murder, murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping and concealing the death of another person in Riley's death Saturday morning, according to Athens-Clarke County jail records. was denied bail. Authorities say there is no evidence Ybarra previously knew the victim and he was not a UGA student.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed Sunday that Ibarra is a Venezuelan immigrant who is not a U.S. citizen.
His brother, Diego Ybarra, 29, is being held on federal charges of fraudulently possessing a green card, which could carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
Both brothers are in the country illegally. Citing the suspect's immigration status, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp asked President Joe Biden for a “request for information” related to the death of Riley, who had criticized Biden's immigration policies.
Wake and funeral will be held for the victims
Riley's family announced that the deceased nursing student's funeral will be held on Friday.
UGA's Alpha Chi Omega sorority, where Riley attended college until spring 2023, will host a vigil Monday in memory of the victim and another UGA student who died on campus last week, the university announced.
A GoFundMe campaign set up in Riley's memory and to establish a scholarship fund had raised more than $100,000 by Sunday afternoon.
Poole Funeral Home said: “All proceeds will go toward establishing the Laken Hope Riley Foundation, which will be used to promote murder awareness and women's safety.”
Retrieved from CNN
A photo of 22-year-old murder victim Laken Hope Riley.
The suspect in Riley's murder was arrested in 2022 after entering the United States illegally, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement.
Ybarra entered the United States near El Paso and was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on September 8, 2022, the agency said in a statement.
“He was released on parole for further processing,” ICE noted.
New York City police also arrested Ybarra last September and charged him with “injury to a child under 17 and motor vehicle license violation,” according to ICE.
The NYPD released him “before detention was issued,” authorities said.
When asked about ICE's statement regarding Ybarra's arrest and release, the New York State Office of the Deputy Director of Information said there was no record of Ybarra's arrest.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations' Atlanta field office filed a motion to detain Mr. Ybarra following his arrest on Friday, the agency announced.
As the investigation into Riley's death continued Sunday, officials concerned about increased border security focused on Ybarra's immigration status.
Republican Gov. Kemp wrote a letter slamming the Biden administration's immigration policies in response to Riley's death. asked for confirmation On Saturday, it revealed the suspect's immigration status and available information regarding the suspect's brother's asylum application and release.
“The tragic death of Laken Riley has touched the hearts of Georgians around the world and sparked national outrage,” Kemp said in a statement. Post to X. “Joe Biden's policy failures have turned every state into a border state. I'm demanding information from him so we can protect our people when the federal government won't!”
The governor also wrote, “While media coverage surrounding this incident has relied on sources and leaks from federal agencies, answers to these fundamental questions should be provided publicly as soon as possible.” Ta.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson I wrote to X On Saturday, he offered prayers for Riley's family and called on the Biden administration to use “existing legal authority” to close the border.
CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on Kemp's letter and request on Saturday.
Rayling Franco, Jose Antonio Ibarra's estranged wife, said Ibarra was a “peaceful person” who treated her well while they were together.
Rayling Franco told CNN in a text message on Sunday that she and Ybarra had not had any relationship for several months after they separated, but a person she once lived with was arrested in connection with Ybarra. After learning, he said he reacted “as anyone would in that situation.” With death.
“I was shocked by everything that was being said about him,” she said, adding that she wanted to sit down with him so he could explain “firsthand what happened.”
Franco said he knew nothing about the case and wanted nothing to do with it, but expressed sympathy for the victims.
For Riley, “At the end of the day, what I want most is justice,” she said.
When asked about Ibarra's immigration status being a focus of the case, Franco said the crime was not tied to any particular nationality.
“You can't impose nationality on criminals. Criminals are all over the world,” she said.
Two student organizations involved in UGA's Latino community said they received “hateful comments” in the wake of Riley's death, according to a joint statement posted on social media.
“In light of recent events, we are faced with the painful reality of hatred and bigotry that has no place in our campus community,” UGA's Hispanic Student Association and LISTo, the campus Latino leadership group, wrote in a joint Instagram post. I mentioned it in the post.
According to UGA's Factbook, the university enrolled more than 2,700 Hispanic students in 2022.
“The hurtful and hateful comments made after the tragic loss of one of our own have deeply shaken us all. Such grief should not be used for racism, hatred and xenophobia. Not,” the post continued.
CNN's Carol Alvarado contributed to this report.
