Indian national allegedly killed Arizona girlfriend, arrested at Germany airport as violent history surfaces
An Indian national allegedly killed his girlfriend – who planned to break up with him over his history of domestic violence – before he was caught in Europe trying to escape back to his home country.Varun Batchigari is suspected of first-degree murder in the strangulation of 19-year-old college student Julissa Rubi Salazar inside her apartment near the University of Arizona in Tucson on Thursday.Salazar was found dead with signs of trauma at around 4 p.m.when police responded to reports of an unresponsive person after the teen’s family requested a welfare check on their daughter, the Tucson Police Department said.Detectives identified Batchigari, Salazar’s boyfriend, as the prime suspect after he allegedly stole her phone and credit cards and sent a series of messages to her mother, which sparked concern with her family, according to KOLD.Officials discovered the alleged killer escaped to Tucson International Airport, where he took a flight to Houston that connected to another flight out to Berlin, Germany, officials said.The 20-year-old was believed to be heading for his home country of India.
An arrest warrant was issued for Batchigari and Arizona officials worked with federal agents to detain the suspect after he arrived in Germany, Tucson Police said.Salazar had been planning on breaking up with Batchigari after he allegedly sexually assaulted her in the past, according to the outlet.Her roommates allegedly heard loud screaming coming from her room that lasted for several minutes on Aug.5, days before Salazar was found dead, KOLD reported.The concerned roommates texted the teen afterwards asking if she was alright, only to receive a message saying she was fine and it was just an argument.Batchigari had been attending the nearby University of Arizona, where he was studying business analytics, before he was expelled for a fight, the outlet reported.
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