An official from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has asserted that Jose Antonio Ibarra, the individual accused of murdering Laken Hope Riley, an Augusta University nursing student, was previously arrested and released by the New York Police Department (NYPD) in 2023.
Ibarra faces a litany of serious charges related to Riley’s tragic death, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another.
Democrat Rep. Katie Porter on the murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley by an illegal immigrant: “The important thing to focus on is any one instance shouldn’t shape our overall immigration policy” pic.twitter.com/Y9HffKkvnA
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 27, 2024
However, the NYPD is now disputing this claim, leading to further scrutiny of immigration laws and enforcement in the United States.
Jose Antonio Ibarra, the accused in Laken Hope Riley’s murder, faces a range of serious charges related to her tragic death. UGA Police Chief Jeff Clark has stated that Ibarra does not have an “extensive” criminal history.
“There is no arrest on file with the name provided in 2023,” NYPD said in a statement on Tuesday, February 17, according to ABC News.
According to a statement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jose Antonio Ibarra was arrested on September 8, 2022, by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after unlawfully entering the United States near El Paso, Texas. He was subsequently paroled and released for further processing.
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On September 14, 2023, the New York Police Department (NYPD) arrested Ibarra and charged him with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation. The NYPD’s handling of Ibarra’s case has come under scrutiny, especially given the tragic circumstances surrounding Laken Hope Riley’s murder. Riley, a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student, was found dead on the University of Georgia campus, where she had previously attended.
“He was released by the NYPD before a detainer could be issued. On Feb. 23, 2024, ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations] Atlanta encountered Ibarra pursuant to his arrest by the University of Georgia Police Department and being charged with murder and other crimes. ERO Atlanta lodged a detainer,” the statement added.
An ICE spokesperson maintained their confidence in the agency’s record-keeping, but they were unable to provide a detailed explanation of the dispute. Initially, ICE asserted that the NYPD had arrested the suspect and subsequently released him before federal authorities could even request his detention. The situation remains contentious, with both agencies offering differing accounts of the events.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Riley’s death was “preventable.” “First of all, [the family is] devastated. They are heartbroken. Marty and I both can understand. Our daughters are at the University of Georgia, and they work out in that same area [as Laken Riley],” Kemp said. Addressing the Athens-Clarke Chamber of Commerce this week.
“They’re also mad like I am that this happened. It was preventable because we just have a nightmare in this country with mass migration and then have people that are here illegally breaking our laws and they’re not telling anybody and reporting this to us,” Kemp added.
Laken Hope Riley, was tragically found dead near a lake on the University of Georgia’s campus in Athens last week. The discovery was made after she failed to return from her jog. According to UGA Police Chief Jeff Clark, Riley’s body exhibited visible injuries. The official police reports confirm that she succumbed to blunt force trauma to the head.
ALSO READ | Laken Riley murder: 22 year old Nursing student found dead on University of Georgia campus.