Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela, pleaded not guilty on Friday to 10 charges related to the alleged murder of Augusta University student Laken Riley.
The arraignment hearing was held at the Athens-Clarke County Superior Courthouse, where the case is now set for a status hearing in August, with a trial expected to commence this fall.
Ibarra is accused of brutally attacking and killing Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, on February 22. The alleged incident took place while Riley was out for a run along the dirt trails on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. Ibarra, who resided in an apartment building adjacent to the on-campus park where Riley was running, is believed to have committed what UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark referred to as a "crime of opportunity."
The grand jury has indicted Ibarra on numerous counts, including malice murder, two counts of kidnapping with bodily injury, two counts of aggravated assault with intent to rape, two counts of 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 is alleged to have caused Riley's death by inflicting blunt-force trauma to her head and "asphyxiating her in a manner unknown to jurors." Additionally, on the same day of the alleged murder, Ibarra is accused of spying on a university staff member through a window at UGA's "University Village Housing Building S."
The path Riley was running on that fateful morning is easily accessible from behind Ibarras apartment complex, with the approximate location where Riley was found dead being a mere five-minute walk from Ibarras residence.
Ibarra, originally from Venezuela, illegally entered the United States through El Paso, Texas, in September 2022. He was subsequently released into the U.S. on parole, as per information provided by ICE and DHS sources to Fox News.
The arraignment hearing was an emotional event, with Rileys mother, Allyson Phillips, reportedly breaking down in tears as Ibarra arrived at the courthouse, as observed by a Fox News reporter present at the scene.
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