One of two doctoral students who went missing from the University of South Florida Tampa campus has been found dead, and police have arrested the victim’s roommate in connection with the case.
Hillsborough County deputies took 26‑year‑old Hisham Abugarbieh into custody after a nearly 90‑minute standoff. Authorities say the body of Zamil Limon, Abugarbieh’s roommate, was recovered on a bridge near Tampa. Limon and fellow doctoral student Nahida Bristy were last seen on April 16; Bristy remains missing and investigators are continuing searches, including using boats and divers in Tampa Bay.
Abugarbieh faces multiple charges, including battery, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, failure to report a death and unlawfully moving a body, according to police. Officials shut down a neighborhood near the USF Tampa campus as the search and investigation intensified; investigators had earlier classified the couple as endangered.
Family members of Bristy have urged authorities to keep searching. Bristy’s brother described the family as devastated and pleaded for information. Police have not released a motive. Records show the suspect has prior arrests, including for battery and burglary. Abugarbieh was scheduled to appear in court the day after his arrest.