A man has been charged with murder following the “deeply disturbing” deaths of two students who vanished from their US university campus earlier this month.
Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, was arrested by SWAT teams in Florida and accused of killing doctoral students Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The couple, originally from Bangladesh, were last seen alive at the University of South Florida on April 16.
Mr Abugharbieh, who was an off-campus roommate of Mr Limon, has been taken into custody following a tactical SWAT standoff.
It’s believed that specialised units, drones, and robots swarmed his family home in Tampa after the suspect allegedly barricaded himself inside for over an hour.
He eventually surrendered to officers while half naked, wearing only a blue towel around his waist.
The dramatic arrest occurred shortly after investigators announced they had discovered the remains of Mr Limon on the Howard Frankland Bridge.
Mr Limon was believed to be studying geography, environmental science and policy and was last seen at his apartment, which he shared with Mr Abugharbieh.
While the body of Ms Bristy has not yet been recovered, the State Attorney’s Office announced a second murder charge based on evidence found during the investigation.
Mr Abugharbieh is now facing two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, as well as charges of false imprisonment and tampering with evidence.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister described the case as a tragedy that has “shaken” the community in a Facebook post.
“This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community and impacted many who were hoping for a safe resolution,” Sheriff Chronister wrote.
“While the discovery of Zamil Limon’s remains is heartbreaking, I want the public to know that our detectives worked and are working tirelessly and relentlessly to uncover the truth.
“We will continue to follow every fact, pursue every lead, and use every tool available to hold those responsible fully accountable. Our thoughts remain with the families of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy during this time.”
Family members told NBC News that the pair had been in a romantic relationship and Mr Limon was due to submit his thesis the day after he disappeared.
Ms Bristy, who was understood to be a chemical engineering student, was supposedly last seen in a campus science building just an hour after her partner went missing.
Her brother confirmed the tragic news in a Facebook post on Friday, writing that his sister was “no longer with us.”
University officials have also confirmed that Mr Abugharbieh allegedly acted alone and stated there is “no ongoing threat to the safety of the university community”.
Detectives are continuing to search the area surrounding the Howard Frankland Bridge as the investigation into Ms Bristy’s disappearance continues.
