Is Athens GA a sanctuary city? All we know about Jose Antonio Ibarra, the suspect in UGA student Laken Riley's murder

University of Georgia police have arrested Jose Antonio Ibarra after he was accused of killing 22-year-old Laken Riley. The latter died from blunt force trauma, and the former is now facing multiple charges. Details regarding the former’s deportation since he is not a U.S. citizen were not made available online at the time of writing this article.

The UGA Police Department received a call on February 22 from a concerned friend regarding Laken Riley, who did not return from her run. When authorities went to search for her, they found that she was dead in the forested area of Lake Herrick.

26-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra, who lived in the Athens, Georgia area was booked into the Clarke County Jail yesterday after being accused of murdering the dean’s list nursing student. Fox 5 Atlanta stated that the killing was a “crime of opportunity” and that the two did not know each other.

Since Jose Antonio Ibarra is not a U.S. citizen, many have wondered what actions are going to be taken against him.

The status of Jose Antonio Ibarra’s residency remains unclear, as Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, is a sanctuary city. For those uninitiated, such localities legally protect low-priority immigrants from deportation. However, such cities are still obliged to cooperate with federal agencies to give them notice of an immigrant who has been released from jail or who has taken part in any criminal activity.

---

What charges is Jose Antonio Ibarra facing?

According to the Post, the suspect believed to be from Venezuela, has been charged with kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, felony murder, aggravated battery, malice murder, felony murder, and concealing the death of another.

Fox 5 Atlanta stated that the suspect did not have a history of violence. They also claimed that his criminal past was “not extensive.”

Law enforcement had visited Jose Antonio Ibarra's Athens apartment for a search. UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark revealed that enough evidence to charge him was found before the search warrant was executed. Clark said:

“The evidence is robust. It is supported by key input by the community, physical evidence and expert police work. Importantly, we were assisted by video footage from our campus security cameras network.”

---

Everything to know about the victim, Laken Riley

According to officials, the youngster was a UGA student up until last year’s spring semester, when she decided to transfer to Athens’ Augusta University College’s nursing program.

Riley, who was also an Alpha Chi Omega sorority member, received her honorary white coat last year and was scheduled to graduate in the upcoming year.

A day before Riley’s death, her mother, Allyson Phillips, took to Facebook to share a post about how she was missing her daughter during a family vacation. Phillips said:

“We had a great time with great friends celebrating Brinda’s birthday in Crested Butte, CO! Massages, skiing, great food and beautiful views! Only thing missing was Laken Riley.”

Riley’s death comes just a day after another student passed away on the UGA campus. However, law enforcement has confirmed that the two deaths are not connected.