A man accused of raping a University of Georgia student in the city of Athens
Laken Riley’s convicted killer wants a new trial
Jose Ibarra’s new legal team is looking for mistakes during the first trial justifying the new trial. Judge Patrick Haggard, who presided over the original trial and handed down the maximum sentence, will hear the motion in Georgia.
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A 19-year-old youth is suspected of robbing a student from the University of Georgia in the city of Athens, allegedly asking to take him home before forcing him behind the building and raping him, police said.
Athens-Clarke County police responded just after 1:30 a.m. on February 28 to a report of a rape in a downtown area near the University of Georgia campus.
Investigators learned that Tydarius Wingfield, 19, of Athens, approached the UGA student, who he did not know, and asked to go home with him.
When they met, Wingfield allegedly forced the woman behind the building, where he sexually assaulted her.
Tydarius Wingfield, 19, has been charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, battery and rape following an alleged assault involving a University of Georgia student in downtown Athens. (Athens-Clarke County Police Department)
The authorities say that the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) of the department played a major role in identifying the suspect. Investigators used surveillance cameras in the city to monitor the scene and track the movements of the victim and Wingfield following the attack. Police were able to track Wingfield around the city and pinpoint him using a body camera system.
Wingfield was arrested and charged with kidnapping, aggravated sexual battery, battery and rape. Jail records show he was denied bond and remains in custody.
The alleged assault comes as the university community continues to grapple with safety concerns following the 2024 shooting death of nursing student Laken Riley.
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Jose Ibarra, left, was found guilty of 10 counts in the death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, right. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)
On Feb. 22, 2024, 22-year-old Riley ran in the morning on the UGA fields and never came back. Authorities later found him unresponsive in a wooded area near popular campus trails.
Prosecutors say Riley was killed in a violent struggle with Jose Antonio Ibarra, a native of Venezuela who was in the United States illegally at the time. According to trial testimony, Ibarra saw Riley running after nine in the morning, attacked him, dragged him into a wooded area and repeatedly hit him in the head with a rock, killing him.
Ibarra was later convicted of Riley’s murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. He requested a new trial.
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Exterior view of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department in Athens, Georgia. (Mark Sims of Fox News Digital)
Now, Riley’s father, Jason Riley, has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in Gwinnett County District Court against the University System of Georgia and the owners of the apartment where Ibarra lived.
According to the lawsuit, obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta, Jason Riley is seeking $1 million in damages for the loss of his daughter’s life and friendship.
The lawsuit, filed two years after his death, alleges that the University System of Georgia failed to provide a safe environment in Athens and failed to warn students after Ibarra was seen spying on someone in a UGA dorm the same day Riley was killed.
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Jason Riley, father of Laken Riley, attends the trial of Jose Ibarra, accused of killing a Georgia nursing student earlier this year in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, Athens, Ga. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)
“Had the defendant Board of Regents warned the public, the Athens community, and students like Ms. Riley of Ibarra’s threat, Ibarra would not have had the opportunity to assault and kill Ms. Riley,” the lawsuit states.
The complaint also alleges the university system failed to properly vet workers when it hired Ibarra’s brother, who authorities say provided a fake green card to get part-time work in a UGA dining hall. It also says the shelter where Ibarra lived did not adequately screen residents.
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In a statement sent to FOX 5 Atlanta, a UGA spokesperson said, “Out of respect for Laken and his family, we have no comment on the newly filed lawsuit.” A spokesperson for the University System of Georgia added, “We do not comment on litigation.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to UGA for additional comment.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicide and immigration crime. Send news tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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