One person is in custody and a body has been found in connection to two missing University of South Florida doctoral students, authorities said Friday.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said it closed down a Tampa neighborhood Friday afternoon and took into custody a barricaded person linked to the disappearance of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27, who were last seen separately on April 16.
The suspect, Hisham Abugharbieh, was Limon’s roommate, police said. He was taken into custody at their shared home.
“We are here today as our community has been shaken by the disappearance of two USF grad students, Nahida and Zamil,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Friday.
“I am heartbroken to announce the discovery of human remains discovered on the Howard Franklin Bridge earlier this morning. Just now, those remains were positively identified to Zamil.”
At about 9 a.m., deputies responded to a domestic violence call at the suspect’s home and removed family members from the residence safely.
Chronister said deputies repeatedly ordered the suspect to exit, but he refused for about 20 minutes. SWAT was activated and arrived at about 10:36 a.m., police said.
After SWAT ordered Abugharbieh to leave the residence, he surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody. Video from the sheriff’s department showed the towel-wearing suspect walk out of the home with his hands up as SWAT closed in.
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Abugharbieh, 26, faces charges including domestic violence-simple battery, domestic violence-false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, failure to report death to the medical examiner’s office or law enforcement, unlawfully hold or move a human dead body in unapproved conditions.
At about 11:15 a.m. Friday, the sheriff’s department said it had closed the entrance and exit of the Lake Forest Community “due to a police investigation related to the missing USF students.”
“The situation has been resolved. One individual is in custody,” it said.
Limon, a USF doctoral student pursuing a degree in geography and environmental science and policy, was last seen at his home around 9 a.m. April 16.
Bristy, a USF doctoral student studying chemical engineering, was last seen around 10 that morning on the USF Tampa campus at the NES Building. Bristy’s location remains unknown.
HCSO Deputy Chief Joseph Mauer said detectives believe Abugharbieh acted alone.
A family friend notified police April 17 at approximately 4:50 p.m. after concern grew over being unable to contact Limon and Bristy.
Anyone with information about this case or who may know Bristy’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200.
