On August 10, Tucson police announced the arrest of Varun Batchigari, a 20-year-old Indian student, in Germany for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old girlfriend, Julissa Rubi Salazar, in a Tucson apartment on August 6. Batchigari, a business analytics student at the University of Arizona, had boarded a flight to Germany, intending to continue to India, but was taken into custody upon arrival. Detectives from the Tucson Police Department had obtained an arrest warrant charging him with first-degree murder and kidnapping. The arrest was made possible through close coordination between the Tucson Police Department, the FBI Tucson Office, and the FBI Legal Attache Office in Berlin. Investigators claim that Batchigari sent several text messages to Salazar’s mother, posing as Salazar, in an attempt to conceal the crime. The messages raised concerns among Salazar’s family, leading to a welfare check, which resulted in the discovery of her body. According to local media reports, firefighters found Salazar dead with strangulation marks and scratches on her neck. Witnesses have come forward, alleging that Batchigari had a history of violent behavior, including a previous assault case and allegations of domestic violence. Batchigari is currently awaiting extradition to Arizona, where he will be booked into the Pima County Adult Detention Complex. The allegations against him have not been proven in court, and he is presumed innocent unless convicted.
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📰 Source: Daijiworld