NEW ORLEANS – A Honduran migrant is facing murder charges in the death of a 43-year-old woman who worked as a tour guild in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Progressives abhor the term “illegal immigrant,” preferring to use the phrase “undocumented non-U.S. citizen.” Yet changing terms has no impact on the crimes being committed by people who enter the U.S. in violation of federal law. From drug trafficking to child molestations to murder, illegal immigrants are being increasingly charged with heinous crimes because they are being allowed into the country in record numbers—more than 10 million people have crossed the border under President Joe Biden, with an estimated 1.7 million illegal immigrant “gotaways” recorded since he was inaugurated in 2021.
In one high profile example, two Venezuelan migrants were charged with the murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Texas last month. In another example, Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student, was brutally murdered while out for a morning run in February. Her accused killer is also an illegal immigrant from Venezuela.
Now, Joshua Bonifacio-Avila, (aka Joshua Avila-Bonifacio), a 19-year-old illegal immigrant from Honduras, is one of the three individuals charged in the murder of Kristie Thibodeaux, 43, in New Orleans, according to reports.
Thibodeaux was fatally shot in her car on St. Peter Street in the early morning hours of June 30. Her accused killer, Kevin Nunez, 15, had an active warrant out for his arrest and was found to be wearing a deactivated ankle monitor at the time of the homicide. Bonifacio-Avila and 17-year-old Jerben Albarec were also arrested in connection with her murder, FOX 8 reported.
Bonifacio-Avila was charged with second-degree murder and attempted armed robbery. The defendants are being held on a $1.1 million bond.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Bonifacio-Avila entered the country illegally on an unknown date and at an unknown location, WGNO reported. ICE was unable to provide information on Nunez or Albarec.
The Venezuelan national had several encounters with law enforcement before his suspected involvement in the killing of Thibodeaux.
According to the Daily Wire, Border Patrol released Bonifacio-Avila into the country in May 2019 while he awaited his deportation hearing. Then in October 2023, he was arrested in Louisiana for theft.
In February 2024, Bonifacio-Avila was arrested again for theft, as well as for contributing to the delinquency of juveniles and three Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office fugitive attachments.
It’s unclear if federal authorities were notified of the arrests or whether detainers were filed with local officials while he was previously in custody.
Nunez had previously been found guilty in juvenile court of seven counts of aggravated assault, illegal possession of a handgun, and domestic battery abuse.
Brian Cain, a local business owner, said Thibodeaux worked as a tour guide in the French Quarter and was a delightful person to be around.
“She brought so much joy and just entertainment to tourists that were visiting the city,” Cain said “She was the life of the party and the mother hen, all in one. She took care of all the people on her tour. She wanted people to see New Orleans in the best light.”
