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Brother of nursing student Laken Riley’s suspected killer Jose Ibarra charged with having fake green card
Diego Ibarra, 29, was charged after he was stopped by police in connection with the investigation into Laken Riley’s murder, the US Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia said.
nypost.com
Brother of nursing student Laken Riley’s suspected killer Jose Ibarra charged with having fake green card
By
Social Links for Olivia Land
Published Feb. 24, 2024
Updated Feb. 24, 2024, 12:03 p.m. ET
The brother of the illegal immigrant arrested in connection with the killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley has been taken into custody for possessing a fake green card.
Diego Ibarra, 29, was charged after he was stopped by police in connection with the ongoing murder investigation, the US Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia said.
He is now in state custody, jail records show.
Diego’s younger brother, 26-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra, is also being held on multiple charges — including malice murder — related to Riley’s death.
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Nursing student Laken Hope Riley was found dead on the University of Georgia campus, officials said. Facebook / Laken Riley
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The 26-year-old suspect in Riley’s murder, Jose Antonio Ibarra, had no known connection to the victim and is not a U.S. citizen. Clarke County Sheriffs Office
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The brothers are from Venezuela, officials said.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) became aware of Diego Ibarra’s undocumented status when an Athens-Clarke County police officer approached him, the sworn affidavit revealed, Atlanta News First reported.
At the time, local authorities believed that he matched the description of the suspect sought for Riley’s killing.
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Jose Antonio Ibarra has been charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another in connection with Riley’s death. Atlanta News First
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At a press conference Friday night, UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark said that the suspect did not know Riley, and described the incident as a “crime of opportunity.” Atlanta News First
Diego Ibarra gave the officer a permanent resident card, or green card, which was then determined to be fraudulent, the document explained.
Further investigation revealed that he was met by the US Border Patrol in El Paso, Texas, on April 30, 2023.
He was processed for immediate removal, but was released to New York City pending asylum after he claimed reasonable fear of returning to his home country, the affidavit explained.
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Diego Ibarra, 29, was arrested late Friday and charged with having a fake green card. Clarke County Sheriffs Office
Several months later, in late September, he was nabbed by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department for driving under the influence and driving without a license.
He was subsequently arrested in the popular college area two more times: Once in October for shoplifting, and once in December for failing to appear for a fingerprintable offense, according to the official document.
Diego Ibarra’s initial court appearance remains undetermined, the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia noted.
If convicted, he faces a maximum of 10 years behind bars.
It is not clear if authorities are also seeking to charge him with any crimes related to Riley’s killing.
The 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student was found dead from blunt force trauma on a trail near Lake Herrick on the nearby University of Georgia campus Thursday.
She was initially reported missing by a friend after failing to return from a morning run.
At a press conference Friday night, UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark said that the suspect did not know Riley, and described the incident as a “crime of opportunity.”
Clark confirmed that Jose Ibarra is not a US citizen, but declined to elaborate on his immigration status.