SWAT teams descended on the roommate of a doctoral student who had mysteriously disappeared and was then found dead in a shocking twist to a devastating story. Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, was arrested on Friday at a family home in Tampa in connection with the disappearance of two missing doctoral students at the University of South Florida, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27, vanished on April 16. Authorities declared the students 'endangered' this past week. Limon's body was discovered near the Howard Frankland Bridge on Friday. Law enforcement is still searching for Bristy, but has charged Abugharbieh with two counts of premeditated murder in the first degree using a deadly weapon.
A massive police presence apprehended Abugharbieh on Friday morning at 9.09am while responding to an unrelated domestic violence incident. The suspect barricaded himself inside his residence. Officers demanded he comply with the arrest, and after Abugharbieh refused, specialized units, including Special Weapons and Tactics forces, were deployed.
Abugharbieh was taken into custody at 10.30am. Video footage of the arrest shows him stumbling out of the home in nothing but a blue towel around his waist with his hands up. He was seen walking up to a group of officers surrounding a military tank, before turning around with his hands up.
Abugharbieh backed up with his hands in the air as at least nine officers in bulletproof vests and helmets handcuffed him. He is now facing a slew of charges, including unlawfully holding or moving a dead body, failure to report a death to authorities, evidence tampering, false imprisonment and battery.
'This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community and impacted many who were hoping for a safe resolution,' Sheriff Chad Chronister said. '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.'
The university previously said that Abugharbieh was enrolled at USF from spring 2021 through spring 2023 and was not an active student. Limon and Bristy both have family in Bangladesh. Their family members had previously told the media that it was unlike them to go off the grid and not respond to their messages.
Bristy's older brother, Zahaid Hasan Pranto, told NBC News that the pair had been in a romantic relationship but were not currently together when they disappeared. Limon was studying geography, environmental science and policy. He was last seen at his apartment, which he shared with Abugharbieh.
Bristy was a chemical engineering student and lived on campus. She was last seen in a USF science building. Her brother confirmed in a Facebook post on Friday that she was 'no longer with us.' Both students had earned their bachelor's degrees in Bangladesh before moving to the US to pursue their postgraduate studies and were on student visas.
Limon's brother, Zubaer Ahmed, told the Tampa Bay Times that he was preparing to submit his thesis statement the day after he went missing, which initially sounded alarm bells for his family. Ahmed described Limon as 'very responsible and punctual.'
Pranto told the Times that his sister spoke with their parents the day she disappeared, discussing how busy her days were in the campus laboratory. He said she loved performing and music, and that she was a 'very jolly person.' Pranto added that being in Bangladesh made the tragedy even harder to swallow.
'We can't just go there and be physically present there,' Pranto said. 'So we are helpless and relying on others to get the updates. My parents are devastated and we are going through a very difficult time.' Court records indicate that Abugharbieh was previously arrested on domestic violence charges, although they were later dropped.
