Georgia State Rep. Houston Gaines calls for the death penalty in the case of Georgia University student Laken Riley, whose murder suspect, Jose Ibarra, faces 10 charges, including malice murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault.
A Georgia grand jury has indicted Jose Ibarra, the suspect charged in the murder of Augusta University student Laken Riley, on 10 counts, including malice murder. Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela, allegedly killed Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, while she was out for a run along dirt trails on the University of Georgia campus in Athens on February 22.
The indictment alleges that Ibarra caused Riley's death by inflicting blunt-force trauma to her head and "asphyxiating her in a manner unknown to jurors." Ibarra is also accused of kidnapping Riley with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstructing or hindering a person from making a 911 call, tampering with evidence, and being a "peeping Tom."
According to the indictment, Ibarra went to an apartment on UGA's "University Village Housing Building ‘S'" on the day of the murder, where he "peeped through" a window and "spied upon" a university staff member.
Ibarra lived in an apartment building that sits on the edge of the on-campus park where Riley was running. The scenic loop Riley ran that morning is easily accessible from behind Ibarra's apartment complex.
UGA has invested $16 million "over the last eight years to hire more police officers, install more security cameras, enhance lighting, establish a nightly rideshare program, and create a UGASafe app." The university has also approved additional lighting improvements and security camera installations.
Ibarra illegally crossed into the United States through El Paso, Texas, in September 2022 and was released into the U.S. via parole, according to ICE and DHS sources.
Jose and his brothers, Diego Ibarra, 29; and Argenis Ibarra, 24, lived together in the same apartment. All three men were questioned and taken into custody after Riley's murder.
Argenis and Diego first entered the United States on April 3, 2023, near Eagle Pass, Texas, and were deported the same day. They were arrested again on April 30 after crossing illegally into the U.S. near El Paso, Texas. They were later released and eventually traveled to Athens.
Diego Ibarra is charged with green card fraud and had ties to a known Venezuelan gang in the U.S., according to federal court documents.
Georgia State Rep. Houston Gaines has called for the death penalty in the UGA murder case, saying that Ibarra "should not have been on the streets."
The case has raised concerns about the safety of college campuses and the need for improved security measures.
