Hilton Head Hit-and-Run: Pedestrian killed overnight, authorities searching for driver (2024)

THE MAN ACCUSED OF MURDERING A STUDENT ON THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIAS CAMPUS PAST HISTORY COMING TO LIGHT. <> HE LIVES HERE IN ATHENS, BUT IT IS NOT A US CITIZEN. THE SUSPECTS TROUBLED PAST AND THE NEW SAFETY MEASURE STUDENTS ARE PUSHING FOR ACROSS CAMPUS. FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY. WHY HIS OPPONENT NIKKI HALEY SAYS SHES NOT DONE FIGHTING YET. <> "AS A MAN WORKING FOR THIS PARADE, YOU HAVE THIS DREAM. WE ALWAYS CALL IT A LABOR OF LOVE. SO IT'S A GREAT HONOR" THE SAINT PATRICKS DAY PARADE WELCOMING ITS NEW GRAND MARSHALL. A LOOK AT THE MAN FIT FOR THE JOB, AND WHY BEING GRAND MARSHALL ISNT NEW TO HIS FAMILY. THANKS FOR STARTING YOUR DAY WITH WJCL 22 NEWS. GOOD MORNING - - I'M EMMA HAMILTON. AND I'M FRANK SULKOWSKI. METEOROLOGIST JONATHAN MYERS IS JOINING US NOW .... NOW, HERE'S YOUR STORM TRACKER RADAR... TODAY SUNNY, WITH A HIGH NEAR 72. LIGHT SOUTH WIND INCREASING TO 5 TO 10 MPH IN THE MORNING. TONIGHT CLEAR, WITH A LOW AROUND 48. SOUTH WIND 6 TO 9 MPH. TUESDAY SUNNY, WITH A HIGH NEAR 76. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 13 MPH, WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 21 MPH. TUESDAY NIGHT PARTLY CLOUDY, WITH A LOW AROUND 56. SOUTH WIND 8 TO 11 MPH. WEDNESDAY MOSTLY SUNNY, WITH A HIGH NEAR 80. SOUTH WIND 8 TO 16 MPH, WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 25 MPH <> THE EVIDENCE IS ROBUST IT IS SUPPORTED BY KEY INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AND EXPERT POLICE WORK. THIS MORNING- NEW INFORMATION INTO THE SUSPECT ACCUSED OF KILLING A COLLEGE STUDENT, WHOSE NAME IS LAKEN RILEY, ON THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIAS COLLEGE CAMPUS. THE SUSPECT, JOSE ANTONIO IBARRA, IS AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FROM VENEZUELA. AND HAS HAD RUN INS WITH THE LAW IN THE PAST. AGENTS SAY IBARRA WAS ARRESTED IN 20-22 AFTER ENTERING THE U-S ILLEGALLY, BUT WAS PAROLED AND RELEASED FOR FURTHER PROCESSING. ICE SAYS IBARRA WAS ALSO ARRESTED LAST SEPTEMBER IN NEW YORK... CHARGED WITH ACTING IN A MANNER TO INJURE A CHILD AS WELL AS A VEHICLE LICENSE VIOLATION. <> UM, I THINK THIS WAS A CRIME OF OPPORTUNITY, UH, WHERE HE SAW AN INDIVIDUAL UM, AND, UH, BAD THINGS HAPPENED. IBARRA FACES MURDER CHARGES AND WAS DENIED BOND DURING HIS FIRST COURT APPEARANCE FRIDAY. RILEYS MURDER HAS MANY STUDENTS CONCERNED FOR THEIR OWN DAFETY NOW. AS TRESIA BOWLES REPORT MANY ARE PUSHING FOR BLUE LIGHTS TO BE INSTALLED ON CAMPUS. --REPORTER PKG- AS FOLLOWS-- DESPITE THE ARREST OF A SUSPECTED MURDERER, NATS "EVEN THOUGH THEY DO HAVE THAT PERSON IN CUSTODY, IT'S STILL, I JUST WANT TO BE MORE SAFE." SAFETY HAS BEEN A BIG TOPIC OF CONVERSATION FOR STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA. SINCE THE DEATH OF 22 YEAR OLD NURSING STUDENT, LAKEN RILEY ADVERTISING STUDENT, ANNA MCCARTHY SAID SHE'S CONSIDERING A DIFFERENT ROUTE. ANNA MCCARTHY/ UGA STUDENT: "I ACTUALLY TYPICALLY DO WALK ALONE. I USUALLY WALK FROM NORTH CAMPUS MY SPOT AT THE IM FIELDS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY RIGHT NEXT TO LAKE HERRICK WHERE IT HAPPENED. I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL BE DOING THAT WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GONE ON." RILEY WAS FOUND DEAD AFTER NOT RETURNING HOME FROM A MORNING JOG THURSDAY. SOMETHING MCCARTHY SAYS ISN'T UNCOMMON FOR LADIES ON CAMPUS AND EVEN OFF CAMPUS SUCH AS HERE IN FRONT OF THE PUBS ON EAST BROAD STREET. ANNA MCCARTHY/ UGA STUDENT: "THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE WALKING ALONE ON CAMPUS AND JUST IN DOWNTOWN IN GENERAL AND ALWAYS MAKES ME A LITTLE IFFY BECAUSE UM I DON'T KNOW, I JUST DON'T LIKE WATCHING LIKE YOUNG WOMEN LIKE ME, LIKE WALK ALONE AT NIGHT." POLICE FOUND RILEY'S BODY ALONE WITH VISIBLE INJURIES AT OCONEE FOREST PARK. 26 YEAR OLD JOSE ANTONIO IBARRA IS FACING MULTIPLE CHARGES IN RILEY'S DEATH SUCH AS MALICE AND FELONY MURDER. THE FAMILY HAS ASKED FOR PRIVACY BUT SINCE THE ARREST MESSAGES ABOUT THE KIND OF PERSON RILEY WAS HAVE BEEN POURING IN ON SOCIAL MEDIA. HER SISTER CALLED HER A BUILT IN BEST FRIEND. HER SORORITY IS PLANNING A VIGIL AND A WOMAN WHO SAYS SHE WAS, HER ROOMMATE SAYS RILEY EXUDED KINDNESS AND ACCEPTANCE TO EVERYONE SHE MET. ANNA MCCARTHY/ UGA STUDENT: "I JUST FEEL REALLY BAD FOR THE FAMILIES AFFECTED." IN RESPONSE STUDENTS ARE TAKING ACTION STARTING A PETITION TO REINSTALL EMERGENCY BLUE LIGHTS ON CAMPUS. AS MCCARTHY SAYS, ANY STEP TOWARDS SAFETY IS BETTER THAN NOTHING. ANNA MCCARTHY/ UGA STUDENT: "I'D FEEL BETTER IF THEY WERE ON CAMPUS. DEFINITELY." OTHER COLLEGE COMMUNITIES ARE ALSO IN MOURNING AND SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS- FOLLOWING THREE ADDITIONAL MURDERS. AT CAMPBELLSVILLE UNIVERSITY IN KENTUCKY, 18- YEAR-OLD JOSIAH KILMAN WAS FOUND DEAD IN HIS DORM ROOM SATURDAY.. POLICE QUICKLY FOCUSED ON FELLOW STUDENT CHARLES ESCALERA - WHO WAS ARRESTED AFTER REPORTEDLY HIDING IN A LOCAL FARMER'S BARN. POLICE HAVE NOT PROVIDED A MOTIVE IN THE CASE - AND THE *CAUSE* OF KILMAN'S DEATH HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED. "HE HAD LOCATED A MALE IN HIS BARN WHILE HE WAS FEEDING , WHICH HE THEN IN RETURN CALLED GREEN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND THEY CONTACTED STATE POLICE." ESCALERA NOW FACES MURDER AND BURGLARY CHARGES. FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS THE PROJECTED WINNER OF THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY IN SOUTH CAROLINA, DEFEATING FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR AND HIS OPPONENT NIKKI HALEY. THE FORMER PRESIDENT WINNING THE STATE WITH NEARLY 60% OF THE VOTE- DESPITE HER LOSS HALEY IS PROMISING VOTERS SHE WILL REMAIN IN THE RACE FOR AS LONG AS SHE CAN. HALEY TOLD SUPPORTERS THIS RACE HAS NEVER BEEN ABOUT HER POLITICAL CAREER... RATHER BEATING BIDEN IN NOVEMBER. HALEY SAID SHE DOESN'T THINK TRUMP CAN DO IT. THE SOUTH CAROLINA-NATIVE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT TWO WEEKS WHEN NEARLY TWO DOZEN STATES CAST THEIR PRIMARY VOTES. <> SOUTH CAROLINA HAS SPOKEN. WE'RE THE FOURTH STATE TO DO SO. IN THE NEXT TEN DAYS, ANOTHER 21 STATES AND TERRITORIES WILL SPEAK. THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO A REAL CHOICE, NOT A SOVIET-STYLE ELECTION WITH ONLY ONE CANDIDATE. AND I HAVE A DUTY TO GIVE THEM THAT CHOICE. TRUMP ADDRESSING VOTERS DURING HIS VICTORY SPEECH AS WELL AND TOOK THE TIME TO THANK SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR TIM SCOTT FOR HIS SUPPORT. <> TIM SCOTT, SENATOR TIM SCOTT, HE WENT OUT AND HE WAS RIPPING IT. I SAID, I SAID WHAT HAPPENED TO TIM SCOTT? WHAT A DYNAMO? AND HE HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR GREAT ADVOCATES. BOTH CANDIDATES ARE NOW HEADED TO MICHIGAN FOR THE NEXT PRIMARY WHICH IS SET TO HAPPEN TOMMOROW. NIKKI HALEYS CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCED IT'S PICKED UP MORE THAN ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN DONATIONS OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS... BUT HALEY'S LOST A MAJOR DONOR AS WELL. THE CONSERVATIVE ADVOCACY GROUP.. .AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY... WHICH IS LINKED TO THE KOCH NETWORK... ANNOUNCED IT'S PULLING THE PLUG ON DONATIONS... A SPOKESPERSON SAYS WHILE THE GROUP SUPPORTS HALEY'S EFFORT TO STAY IN THE RACE...IT DOES NOT BELIEVE ANY OUTSIDE GROUP CAN HELP EXPAND HER PATH TO VICTORY... AT THIS POINT. WE ARE JUST UNDER 3 WEEKS AWAY FROM THE SAINT PATRICKS DAY HERE IN SAVANNAH AND THIS YEARS PARADE IS EXPECTED TO BE BIGGER THAN EVER WITH IT BEING THE 200TH CELEBRATION. AND THIS MORNING- THE SAINT PATRICKS DAY COMMITTEE HAS SPOKEN AND HAS SELECTED THIS YEARS GRAND MARSHALL. HIS NAME IS JOHN FORBES, WHO IS RIGHT HERE FROM SAVANNAH, AND HAS BEEN A PART OF THE COMMITTEE FOR YEARS. FORBES RAN FOR THE POSITION THIS YEAR UNOPPOSED. HIS FATHER, JIM FORBES, SERVED AS THE PARADES GRAND MARSHALL IN 1998 AND IS SPEAKING ON WHAT IT MEANS TO NOW HAVE A SON HOLD THE HONORARY POSITION. <> "I DO NOT KNOW OF ANY FORMAL MARSHALS WHO ARE OLD WERE ALIVE TO SEE THEIR SON ELECTED AS GRAND MARSHAL. THERE'S NOTHING LIKE IT. IT'S A TREMENDOUS HONOR. AND WE'RE SO PROUD OF HIM." THE 200TH ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE IS ON MARCH 16TH AT 10:15 AM. INVESTIGATORS OPENING UP ABOUT WHAT CAUSED A TRUCK TO CRASH INTO A WELCOME CENTER CAUSING A DEADLY FIRE. THE FIRE CLAIMING THE LIVES OF 2 TRUCKERS. WJCL 22 NEWS ANDY COLE WALKS US THROUGH WHAT INVESTIGATORS KNOW AND THE CLEAN UP EFFORTS NOW UNDERWAY. - *NAT SOUND CLEAN UP THE CLEAN UP IS DONE. GEORGIA STATE PATROL TELLS US AN 18-WHEELER WAS DRIVING INTO THE GEORGIA WELCOME CENTER AT A HIGH SPEED AND SLAMMED INTO ANOTHER AND ANOTHER AND ANOTHER. - **CLEAN UP* IN ALL - 6 TRACTOR TRAILERS ARE NOW SCRAP METAL AND TWO TRUCKERS ARE DEAD. SOT - GREG HAYDEN/ TRAVELLING TO FLORIDA "I REALLY FEEL BAD FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE. IT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO ANYBODY TO DIE, BUT IN SUCH A HORRIBLE WAY. IT'S JUST REALLY TOO BAD." TROOPERS SAY THE FIRST DRIVER... AND THE DRIVER OF THE TRUCK THEY SLAMMED INTO ARE DEAD. THE SECOND DRIVER - ACCORDING TO GSP - WAS LIKELY SLEEPING WHEN IT HAPPENED. THE FOUR OTHER DRIVERS WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE THE BLAZE. SOT - HAYDEN "I'VE SEEN A LOT OF ACCIDENTS, I'VE BEEN ON THE ROAD A LOT, BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN TWO TRUCKS LIKE THAT BURN AS BAD AS THEY'RE BURNED LIKE THAT." ALL THAT'S LEFT IS MELTED RUBBER - FROM THE LOAD INSIDE ONE OF THE TRUCKS ... FIREFIGHTING FOAM AND THIS WILD VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT. NATS THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION .....IS REMINDING PARENTS ABOUT A NEW SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY. THE SOUTH CAROLINA EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP TRUST FUND PROGRAM -- PROVIDES 6 THOUSAND DOLLARS -- IN GRANTS -- TO UP TO 5-THOUSAND QUALIFYING STUDENTS. IT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW .....BY GOVERNOR HENRY MCMASTER LAST MAY -- AND IT ALLOTS..... 30 MILLION DOLLARS ....TO BE USED FOR EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES.. THE DEADLINE TO APPLY.... IS MARCH 15TH. THIS MORNING WERE LEARNING THAT INTEREST IN BOOK CLUBS IS RISING AGAIN THANKS TO THE HELP OF GEN Z. AND THIS MORNING WE WANT TO KNOW WHATS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK GENRE? YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE AT WJCL.COM/VOTE OR SCAN THE QR SCREEN TO TELL US YOUR FAVORITE GENRE? IS IT ROMANCE? A THRILLER? A CLASSIC? OR HISTORIC? A NEW REPORT SHOWS GEN Z'S GATHER AT RESTAURANTS, DATING EVENTS, BREWERIES, AND AND ON GROUP RUNS TO DISCUSS THEIR FAVORITE BOOKS. THEY USE THE CLUB AS A WAY TO SOCIALIZE --- WHICH IS WHY BOOK CLUB EVENT LISTINGS GREW 24 PERCENT LAST YEAR. ADLIB AND HERE'S A LOOK AT YOUR TRAFFIC TRACK 22. THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS ON THE ROADS THIS MORNING