ATHENS, Ga. — A suspect was taken into custody Friday in the killing of 22-year-old Laken Riley, a nursing student whose body was found in a wooded area on the University of Georgia’s (UGA) main campus.

Police said Riley, a junior at nearby Augusta University, was found dead Thursday after she went for a jog on the campus, CNN reports. UGA Police Chief Jeff Clark said Riley died of blunt force trauma and was identified Friday morning.

The suspect has been identified as 26-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra. Ibarra lived in an apartment complex about one mile south of where Riley was found. Clark said the evidence gathered against Ibarra is “robust” and that they believe Ibarra acted alone, noting the investigation suggests the suspect and victim had no relationship.

“This was a crime of opportunity where he saw an individual, and bad things happened,” said Clark.

Riley, a former UGA student, was reported missing around noon Thursday by a friend who said she had not returned from her run. The report led to a search of the area near the school’s intermural fields, according to USA Today. Officers soon located Riley and found her unconscious and not breathing with “visible injuries” in a wooded area behind Lake Herrick, which is located near several playing fields, tennis courts, and walking and biking trails. Officers attempted to administer emergency aid but paramedics declared Riley deceased on the scene.

Ibarra is facing several charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another. He was denied bond at a hearing Saturday and is being held at Athens-Clarke County Jail.

UGA, Augusta University Cancel Classes

UGA canceled classes after 5:30 p.m. Thursday for the rest of the week. Classes will resume on Monday, the university said. In a statement to the campus community, UGA encouraged students and faculty to use the school’s counseling and psychiatric services.

Clark said there was another death investigation in a student dormitory Wednesday but that foul play was not suspected and there is no connection to Thursday’s killing.

“The past 24 hours have been a traumatic time for our University. Our student body is grieving the sudden death of one of our students in Brumby Hall last night,” read the statement. “And as we continue to mourn that tragic loss of life, today’s devastating news will uniquely test the resolve of our campus community, particularly our students.”

Augusta University, which is located about 2.5 miles from UGA’s intramural fields, canceled classes Friday as well. Counselors were on-site beginning Friday for College of Nursing students.

Campus Security Footage Led Police to UGA Murder Suspect

Police said Ibarra was identified using video surveillance from campus security cameras and other technology, as well as critical input from the community and physical evidence.

A UGA student started a petition urging for the installation of emergency lights in the area where Riley’s body was found. The petition has nearly 25,000 signatures.

UGA Police is investigating the homicide with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call UGAPD at (706) 542-2200.

Riley’s death is the first on-campus homicide in 41 years, according to UGA’s Clery Act crime statistics.

UGA Murder Suspect Arrested for Illegal Border Crossing

Ibarra, who is not a U.S. citizen, migrated to the United States from Venezuela, authorities said. He was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Sept. 2022 for crossing the border illegally near El Paso, Texas. He was released with temporary permission to stay in the country, a federal law enforcement official said Thursday. According to The New York Times, the release was a practice the administration used when officials were overwhelmed with high numbers of crossings. The practice was ended about six months later. On Saturday, it was not clear what Ibarra’s immigration status was.

His brother, Diego Ibarra, was initially arrested in connection with Riley’s murder as he matched the suspect’s description. Investigators determined he had a fraudulent green card and he was federally charged Friday night, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia. He remains in police custody.

A UGA spokesperson said Diego Ibarra used a fake green card to get hired for a temporary position at the school’s Bolton Dining Hall in February but was soon fired after he “failed to submit further documentation required to keep the job.”

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