Athens, Georgia – It’s not uncommon for college students to jog along the dirt trails that weave around Herrick Lake and various intramural fields on the south side of the University of Georgia campus in Athens.
Laken Riley, 22, a nursing student at Augusta University, decided to do the same Thursday morning, as she always does, but this time Riley didn’t go home.
Her roommate called campus police to report her missing, and within 30 minutes, authorities found Riley dead in a wooded area behind a lake with “visible injuries.”
That morning, José Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezeura who lives in an apartment on the edge of the park where Riley was running, is accused of killing Riley, an aspiring nurse. UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark is believed to have been killed in this manner. “Crime of opportunity.”
Georgia murder suspect identified as illegal immigrant
Nursing student Laken Riley was found dead near a lake on campus on Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Alison Phillips/Facebook)
Ybarra is currently charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, interfering with a 911 call, and concealing the death of another person.
Riley died from blunt force trauma, Clark said at a news conference Friday night announcing Ybarra’s swift arrest.
Jose Ybarra was taken into custody Friday by UGA police in connection with Riley’s death. (Clark County Sheriff’s Office)
The scenic loop Riley ran that morning is easily accessible from behind Ybarra’s apartment. It is a five-minute walk from the front door of Ibarra’s home to the approximate location where Riley’s body was found.
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An exterior view of Jose Antonio Ibarra’s apartment on Saturday, February 24, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. Ybarra was charged with murder after Laken Riley was found dead on the campus boardwalk. (Mark Sims, Fox News Digital)
Dominic, an Athens resident who spoke to Fox News Digital, said he has been walking the same loop through Oconee Forest, a 60-acre natural area, since he was 14 years old. Dominic is now 51 years old, just like his owner, who has an old dog who doesn’t like walking.
The part of the trail where Riley was near the water pond always seemed “spooky” to him. There are no visible security cameras or blue lights in this area.
An Athens local taking his dog for a walk around the Herrick Lake pedestrian loop has described parts of it as “creepy”. (Mark Sims, Fox News Digital)
“It’s great to ride a bike and go fast, but if you’re going to walk, I don’t want my mom and sister walking here alone unless they have a big German shepherd with them.”
Dominic said he’s scared of certain parts of the trail because of the railroad tracks and apartment buildings that border the area. There is no fence separating the UGA-owned park from the building.
Georgia nursing student found dead on Uga campus, identified as Laken Riley
Dominick said the university recently cut down “overgrown” cattails on certain sections of the sidewalk to improve visibility and make pedestrians feel safer. Cheri Smithson, another regular walker, also noticed recently cut cattails.
“It never felt right to me.”
The trail was unusually quiet on a sunny Saturday morning after Riley’s death. Dominic said the trail is usually very busy on nice weekends, with pedestrians wearing headphones bumping into each other. The owner of an off-leash dog and the owner of a dog on a leash argue.
Not this Saturday. Only regulars performed. Smithson left a bouquet of yellow ranunculus at the scene where Riley was found.
“People will tell you it’s a head-spinning place…it’s a scary place,” Smithson said.
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Cheri Smithson leaves flowers at Laken Riley on the shores of Herrick Lake on the University of Georgia campus in Athens on Saturday, February 24, 2024. (Mark Sims, Fox News Digital)
Michelle, the student’s mother, said the UGA community is “disturbed” by Riley’s murder.
“It’s disturbing to think that there are people all over the country who are unstable and could commit crimes,” she told FOX News Digital.
Laken Riley smiled and posed for photos as he ran. (Laken Riley/Instagram)
Michelle, a UGA graduate, has repeatedly told her daughter to be careful when walking alone, to only go for runs with people from her lab, and to be aware of her surroundings when drinking with friends at night. He said he came.
“It’s a mother’s worst nightmare.”
“This movie shakes people to their core because it makes people realize that there’s a dirty side behind us that we can’t see,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking. I’ve been praying. [Riley’s] Every time I think of my mom. ”
Laken Riley poses for a photo to post on Facebook. (Laken Riley/Facebook)
Riley’s family released a statement Saturday, calling the 22-year-old “a wonderful daughter, sister, friend, and overall great human being.”
“Her love for the Lord was embodied in every aspect of her life. She will be missed every day, but we would like to honor her life as it moves forward in so many ways. We promise,” the statement shared with WXIA reads in part. “At this most difficult time, we ask that you please respect our privacy and allow us the time and space we need to grieve the life of her daughter, which was tragically cut short.”
Laken Riley’s family released a statement calling her a “wonderful daughter, sister, friend and all-around human being.” (Laken Riley/Facebook)
Ybarra’s neighbors told Fox News Digital that police swarmed the apartment complex’s parking lot on Thursday and Friday. Authorities sat Mr. Ibarra in a lawn chair outside his apartment, where he lived with his brother Diego Ibarra and two others, and questioned him. They first detained Jose, then his brother, who was charged with green card fraud.
“I got this weird vibe from him,” one neighbor said of Jose.
Laken Riley case: Georgia authorities identify murder suspect in custody for killing of nursing student
An exterior view of Jose Antonio Ibarra’s apartment on Saturday, February 24, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (Mark Sims, Fox News Digital)
Another neighbor said she had spoken to him by chance once or twice but didn’t think of him as anything special.
A Clark County magistrate judge denied Ybarra a “today only” bond Saturday morning because the court had not set bond.
Jose Antonio Ybarra’s public defender and interpreter arrive at the Athens-Clarke County Jail on Saturday, February 24, 2024, in Athens, Georgia. (Mark Sims, Fox News Digital)
Ibarra wore a red jumpsuit and shackles in court and nodded when an interpreter spoke to him. Ybarra’s public defender said he understands the charges brought against him.
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The 26-year-old suspect entered the United States illegally. El Paso, Texas Officials told Fox News that the three were released to the United States on parole in September 2022, after passing through ICE and DHS.
FOX News’ Bill Melgin contributed to this report.
