Robert GrahamImmigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) indicated Wednesday that one of the three suspects arrested for a June 30, 2024, firearm-related New Orleans murder is an illegal alien.
WGNO reported that 19-year-old Joshua Aviala-Bonifacio is the suspect who is in the U.S. illegally. He is alleged to have been involved in the fatal shooting of a New Orleans tour guide, 43-year-old Kristie Thibodaux.
Thibodaux was shot and killed at the corner of Royal and St. Peter streets just after 4:30 a.m. on June 30.
ICE pointed out that on May 11, 2019, “Border Patrol had a run-in with Aviala-Bonifacio in Texas and determined he was inadmissible”
The agency noted Aviala-Bonfiacio’s interactions with law enforcement since entering the country:
- On May 14, 2019, the U.S. Border Patrol released Aviala-Bonifacio on an order of recognizance.
- On October 6, 2023, the Kenner Police Department (KPD) arrested Aviala-Bonifacio for theft under the alias Joshua Avila.
- On February 14, 2024, the KPD again arrested Aviala-Bonifacio for theft, contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, and three Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office fugitive attachments.
