Brother of suspect in nursing student’s killing had fake green card, feds say

ATHENS, Ga. (news agencies) — The brother of the man charged with killing a Georgia nursing student has been accused of presenting a fake green card to police as they investigated the woman’s death, according to federal authorities.

The brothers, Jose and Diego Ibarra, are from Venezuela, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia said in a news release.

Jose Ibarra, 26, was taken into custody for the slaying of 22-year-old Laken Hope Riley on Friday, police said. University of Georgia Police Chief Jeff Clark said Jose Ibarra is not a U.S. citizen, but he did not know Ibarra’s immigration status.

Diego Ibarra, 29, was arrested the same day for allegedly presenting a forged U.S. permanent resident card to investigators, the local U.S. Attorney’s office said. Local police had approached Diego Ibarra, who lives in Athens, while he walked down the street because he matched the suspect’s description.

Diego Ibarra had encountered U.S. border agents in April of last year near El Paso, Texas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He was processed for expedited removal but claimed a “credible fear of return to Venezuela.” He was released with a pending claim for asylum.

At least 7.3 million people have fled Venezuela in the past decade during political, economic and humanitarian crises. Most settled in neighboring countries in Latin America, but many came to the United States in the past three years.

Since entering the U.S., Diego Ibarra has been arrested three times by Athens law enforcement, federal authorities said.

He was arrested in September for driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a license, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He was arrested in October for shoplifting and arrested in December for “failure to appear for a fingerprintable offense.”