ATHENS, Ga. — In the last 24 hours, more information has come out about Jose Antonio Ibarra, the man charged with killing an Augusta University nursing student near the University of Georgia's intramural fields on Thursday.
"At this time, the investigation suggests that they had no relationship," UGA Chief of Police Jeff Clark said on Friday. "He didn't know her at all. I think this was a crime of opportunity where he saw an opportunity where he saw an individual and bad things happen."
On Friday, Clark also said that Jose Ibarra is not a US citizen, but Clark did not know his immigration status at the time. 11Alive reached out to Customs and Border Protection and ICE, seeking clarity.
What we've learned from ICE
On Sunday, Lindsay Williams, a spokesperson for ICE, stated U.S. Customs and Border Protection had previously arrested Ibarra in September of 2022 AFTER "unlawfully entering the United States: near El Paso, Texas. She added that he "was paroled and released for further processing."
Williams added that almost a year later in August, Ibarra was arrested by New York Police and charged with "acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation." However, she noted he was released by police before a detainer could be issued.
What is he currently being charged with?
Ibarra is charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another person. The Clarke County Sheriff's Office released a photo of him just after midnight.
Ibarra's wife speaks with New York Post
Over the weekend, Ibarra's wife spoke exclusively with the New York Post about the shocking crime, saying, “We got married so we could join our asylum cases...He was the person I thought I could see through. We’ve known each other our entire lives."
Ibarra's wife also described him as not aggressive, telling the New York Post, “We had problems as a couple, but our problems weren’t physical. We wouldn’t punch, but we’d raise our voices.
In the same interview, she stated, "he wanted to get a better job in Georgia," and noted that she and her son were in an El Paso facility for five days before they made the journey to New York.
“I want to talk to [Jose],” she said. “I have a lot of faith that this wasn’t him, that there was a misunderstanding somewhere. But if he did, he has to pay for what he did, truly.”
What about his brother?
At the time of his arrest, Ibarra's brother was also taken in by police. However, this was due to separate, unrelated charges. Jose Ibarra is believed to have acted alone, according to authorities. His brother was arrested for having a fake green card and was approached by Athens-Clarke County Police because they said he matched the description of a suspect.
According to the university, the brother presented that fake card to their hiring department to take a temporary position as a dishwasher in one of the dining halls. This was earlier in February. The university added that he "failed to submit further documentation required to keep the job and was never paid by the University. He has been fired."