- Brother of Laken Riley Murder Suspect Has Been Charged with Possession of a False Green Card
- Diego Ibarra, 29, faces federal charges for fraudulent identification card
- His brother José, 26, has been accused of murdering the nursing student
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thThe brother of Laken Riley’s alleged killer was arrested and charged with possession of a fake green card – his fourth arrest since arriving in Georgia.
He The Department of Justice announced Friday night that Diego Ibarra, 29, of Venezuela, faces federal charges for possession of a false green card.
Diego Ibarra is the older brother of José Antonio Ibarra, 26, accused of murdering Augusta University nursing student Laken Riley, 22.
Ibarra’s father was arrested by Athens-Clarke County police because he matched the description of the alleged killer.
The 29-year-old man is now in state custody, jail records show.
The Department of Justice announced Friday night that Diego Ibarra, 29, of Venezuela, faces federal charges for possession of a fake green card.
José Antonio Ibarra, 26, has been identified and charged with murdering nursing student Laken Riley, 22, at the University of Georgia in Athens.
Riley, 22, was found dead Thursday afternoon after her roommate reported her missing, saying she had not returned from her run.
“Ibarra is a citizen of Venezuela and was processed for expedited removal, but claimed to have a credible fear of returning to Venezuela,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia wrote in a statement.
“Accordingly, he was released from immigration custody pending the adjudication of his asylum claim on April 30, 2024.”
Ibarra’s younger brother was arrested for the murder of Laken Riley in Athens – a sanctuary city – on Friday and is now being held in the Clarke County Jail and appeared before a judge Saturday morning when he was denied release on bail. bail.
NewsNation reporter Ali Bradley said Ibarra, 26, is originally from Venezuela and crossed into El Paso, Texas, in September 2022.
He was released into the United States by Customs and Border Patrol because the worsening migrant crisis means they do not have enough facilities to hold all the border crossers they intercept. Police do not believe Ibarra knew his victim.
Riley, 22, was found dead Thursday afternoon after her roommate reported her missing, saying she hadn’t returned from a run.
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 person.
Ibarra’s younger brother, accused of murdering the August University student, appeared before a judge Saturday morning.
UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark told reporters at a news conference this evening that officers searched Ibarra’s Athens apartment and evidence shows he acted alone.
Officials confirmed that Ibarra is not a U.S. citizen and did not know or have any relationship with Riley.
‘He didn’t know her at all. I think this is a crime of opportunity where he saw an individual and bad things happened,” Clark said.
‘The evidence is solid. It is supported by key community input, physical evidence and expert police work. It is important to note that we have video images from the security camera network on our campus.’
He reported that there was no clear history of violence for the accused and that his criminal record is not extensive.