TAMPA, Fla. — Murder charges have been filed against Hisham Abugharbieh, the roommate of a doctoral student from Bangladesh who vanished alongside his girlfriend earlier this month from the University of South Florida.
Abugharbieh, 26, faces two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon in connection to the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27-year-old USF students, as confirmed by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The remains of Limon were discovered on the Howard Frankland Bridge, while Bristy is still unaccounted for. Law enforcement officials are actively searching for her and urge anyone with information to come forward.
Abugharbieh, a U.S. citizen and former student at USF, was initially detained on preliminary charges, including unlawfully moving a dead body and tampering with evidence, after barricading himself in his family’s home. He eventually surrendered to a SWAT team and crisis negotiators.
Relatives of Limon and Bristy reported that the couple was contemplating marriage prior to their disappearance. Limon was last seen at his off-campus apartment, where he lived with Abugharbieh, while Bristy was spotted about an hour later near a campus science building.
As the autopsy on Limon’s remains is pending, further investigations into Abugharbieh’s background reveal previous arrests involving battery and domestic violence allegations. The community remains vigilant as the search for Bristy continues.
