Illegal immigrant charged in Laken Riley's murder seen disposing of bloody evidence: neighbor

A neighbor of the illegal immigrant arrested in connection to the killing of Laken Riley, a nursing student at Georgia's Augusta University, has said that she saw suspect Jose Ibarra throwing bloody clothing and evidence in dumpsters around the apartment complex they both live at.

The neighbor told Newsnation that Ibarra was captured disposing of the items on security and doorbell cameras.

"He took all of the evidence," she said. "He’s on camera with his bloody clothes in a bag." The footage was taken as evidence by police, she added.

Riley’s body was found on February 22 in a wooded area at the University of Georgia at Athens after her roommate said she hadn’t returned from her morning run.

Ibarra was arrested on February 23 and charged with felonies of malice murder, murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and concealing the death of another, as well as the misdemeanor of physically hindering a 911 call.

An affidavit alleged that Ibarra dragged Riley’s body into the woods and had disfigured her skull.

The neighbor said that Riley frequently ran through the apartment complex to access the trail that lay behind it, adding that Ibarra was frequently sitting outside and likely saw her run by.

“He was out here all hours of the night and day,” she said.

The apartment complex is a former hotel with rooms being turned into studio apartments, and the neighbor said Ibarra lived in the unit next door with four or five others who were all undocumented.

Ibarra came into the US illegally in September, and was arrested and released in New York before moving to Georgia.