TAMPA, Fla. — Florida law enforcement officials have recovered the body of one University of South Florida doctoral student while continuing the search for a second missing student after arresting their roommate on multiple charges.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister announced that the remains of Zamil Limon were discovered Friday morning on the Howard Frankland bridge spanning Tampa Bay. However, Nahida Bristy remains unaccounted for. Authorities have arrested Limon’s roommate, Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih, facing preliminary charges including domestic violence, battery, false imprisonment, evidence tampering, failing to report a death, and illegally moving a body.
“We are still actively searching for Nahida,” Chronister stated, requesting that anyone with helpful information contact authorities.
According to Chronister and University of South Florida Police Chief Chris Daniel, law enforcement responded to a domestic violence call at a residence approximately one mile from the university campus. Officers successfully evacuated the suspect’s family members before the individual barricaded himself inside the home and refused to surrender.
Following the arrival of a SWAT team, the suspect eventually emerged without incident. While initially cooperative with investigators, Chronister noted that the individual later ceased communication with authorities.
The missing students, Limon and Bristy, were a couple originally from Bangladesh who vanished from campus on April 16. Limon, pursuing studies in geography, environmental science and policy, was last observed at his residence in a student housing complex. Bristy, enrolled in chemical engineering, was spotted an hour afterward at a campus science facility.
University police reported that a family friend alerted authorities the previous Friday after unsuccessful attempts to reach either student.
