TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A former College of South Florida scholar has been charged with killing his roommate and the roommate’s girlfriend — two doctoral college students from Bangladesh who disappeared earlier this month, authorities mentioned Saturday.
Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, is going through two counts of premeditated homicide within the first diploma with a weapon within the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, college students at USF, based on the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Workplace.
Distributed by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Workplace
Limon’s stays have been discovered on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning, however Bristy continues to be lacking, Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer mentioned on Friday.
Abugharbieh, a native-born U.S. citizen, was initially taken into custody on Friday at his household’s house on preliminary prices that embrace unlawfully transferring a useless physique, failure to report a loss of life, tampering with proof, false imprisonment and battery.
Officers encountered Abugharbieh as they responded to a report of home violence at his household’s house, simply north of the campus, and have been in a position to transfer his family to security. However then he barricaded himself inside and refused to return out. A SWAT staff responded — together with a drone, a robotic and disaster negotiators — earlier than Abugharbieh got here out together with his arms up, apparently sporting nothing however a blue towel.
Limon and Bristy, each 27, have been contemplating getting married, a relative mentioned. They disappeared from campus on April 16. Limon was final seen at his house in an off-campus condo complicated the place he lived with Abugharbieh. Bristy, who lived on campus, was final seen an hour later at a campus science constructing.
Douglas R. Clifford through AP
An post-mortem is being executed on the stays to find out the way and reason behind Limon’s loss of life, and people outcomes are anticipated Saturday morning, Maurer mentioned Friday.
Abugharbieh had been a USF scholar however was not at present enrolled. College information confirmed he had attended the college from Spring 2021 by way of Spring 2023, and had pursued a BS in Administration, a college spokesperson mentioned.
Limon was learning geography, environmental science and coverage, and Bristy was learning chemical engineering. She was a graduate of Noakhali Science and Expertise College. The varsity, which spelled her final identify as Brishti, mentioned in an announcement Saturday that she was a Ph.D. candidate and described her as a gifted and promising scholar.
“Her sudden passing has deeply saddened all of us,” Vice Chancellor Mohammad Ismail mentioned. “The college household pays deep respect to her reminiscence. On the similar time, we demand punishment for these concerned in her loss of life and compensation for the sufferer’s household.”
The seek for Bristy continues. Anybody with data concerning her disappearance is requested to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Workplace.
Abugharbieh had a number of earlier arrests, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned. He was charged with battery and housebreaking of an unoccupied dwelling in September 2023, and with battery that Could — each categorised in courtroom information as misdemeanors.
Courtroom information present Abugharbieh entered right into a diversion program for first-time offenders charged with misdemeanors. He accomplished this system in 2024 and the costs have been discontinued. A telephone name to his lawyer in that case was not instantly returned.
Hillsborough County Courtroom information additionally confirmed two home violence petitions filed by a member of the family in 2023. A choose granted an injunction in a single case and denied the opposite petition. He additionally was accused of visitors violations.