Yavapai News

Rep. Eli Crane condemns U.S. legislators and the weakened border security that resulted in the murder of an innocent college student in Georgia by an illegal immigrant. 

“This monster shouldn’t have been within our borders to begin with. A totally avoidable tragedy.” Crane said in a post on X. “There’s no doubt that impeaching Mayorkas was a step in the right direction. The Senate needs to wake up.”

Laken Riley was a student studying nursing at University of Georgia. She was found dead in May of 2023 after going jogging near campus. According to a CNN article, police were able to identify her murderer using security footage from around campus. Riley was a dean’s list student and a member of UGA’s Alpha Chi Omega sorority. She was set to graduate in 2025. 

Murder suspect Jose Antonio Ibarra entered the United States illegally in September of 2022, according to the NY Post. He and his wife and child made their way to New York where Ibarra worked for DoorDash and UberEats. 

Ibarra was arrested by the NYPD in September of 2023 for failing to protect his child by carrying them without a helmet on his scooter, however he was released before ICE was able to step in. Ibarra then separated from his wife, who claims they got married to improve their asylum applications, and moved to Georgia with his brother. 

Eli Crane is currently serving in the U.S. Congress, representing Arizona’s 2nd district. He replaced previous U.S Congress member Tom O'Halleran in 2023.

Crane, 43, was born in Tucson, Arizona in 1980. He currently lives in Oro Valley.