An Indian national has been arrested and charged with murder after attempting to flee the United States following the death of his 19-year-old girlfriend in Tucson, Arizona.
Varun Batchigari, 20, boarded a flight at Tucson International Airport on Thursday, bound for Germany and ultimately India, the same day that Julissa Rubi Salazar was discovered unresponsive in her apartment near the University of Arizona.
Salazar’s family had requested a welfare check after being unable to contact her. Upon arrival, first responders observed signs of trauma and alerted the police. Authorities have not yet disclosed the nature of Salazar’s injuries.
Batchigari was apprehended in Germany upon his arrival, a result of cooperation between U.S. and German authorities. He was taken into custody on a warrant charging him with first-degree murder and kidnapping. As of Friday, he was awaiting extradition back to Arizona.
