The man accused of killing 25-year-old Minelys Rodriguez-Ramirez of Cornelia last week is said to be living in the U.S. illegally. 

State Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell), who also serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Safety, told The Northeast Georgian that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) found Angel DeJesus Rivera-Sanchez, who resides in Cornelia, is living in the country illegally while residing in the county. 

“One hundred percent confirmed,” Albers said. “He is an illegal immigrant from Mexico.”

GBI agents located Rivera-Sanchez, 24, at a bus station in Atlanta on Oct. 28, and arrested him on kidnapping charges relating to the disappearance of Rodriguez-Ramirez.

Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell said the GBI used phone records to locate Rivera-Sanchez. 

Terrell said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has put a detainer on Rivera-Sanchez, but has not specified his citizenship status to the sheriff’s office. “I don’t know for 100 percent,” he said. “I believe he is in this country illegally.” 

Terrell said he thinks Homeland Security is staying tight-lipped on the subject because of next week’s presidential election.