Man suspected of killing Georgia student entered US illegally near El Paso in 2022, officials say

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The man accused of killing Augusta University College of Nursing student Laken Hope Riley entered the US illegally near El Paso in 2022, according to new reports from officials.

Riley was killed while jogging in a wooded area of the campus. Now 26-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra is charged with Riley's murder, as well as false imprisonment, kidnapping, and concealing the death of another.

Police are calling this a crime of opportunity and say that Ibarra has an "extensive criminal history." Ibarra had been living in Athens, Georgia, where the university is located, but was originally from Venezuela.

Riley was a junior at UGA. Her sorority is co-hosting her vigil as they remember her as a loving and caring friend.

ABC-7 has reached out the Border Patrol in El Paso to learn more. We are waiting to hear back.