The murder case involving University of Arizona student Julissa Salazar took a major turn after investigators said the suspect, Varun Batchigari, was arrested in Berlin, Germany, after leaving the United States. Salazar, 19, was found strangled to death in her apartment near campus on Thursday, and her mother says the young woman had already ended the relationship with the man accused in the case.
Salazar’s mother said her daughter had “broken up” with Batchigari before she was found dead. “She had already had that conversation with him” about ending the relationship, she said. The mother, who asked not to be identified, described the death as deeply unfair and said Batchigari “no longer had any business” being in the country or around other students, especially if he posed a threat. Federal law enforcement sources said Batchigari entered the United States on an F-1 student visa in January 2024.
Authorities say Batchigari, who is from India, boarded a flight out of the United States before being taken into custody by law enforcement in Berlin. He is now awaiting extradition back to the United States. Court records from Pima County, Arizona, show that the University of Arizona Police Department charged him with assault on May 26. KOLD reported that he had been expelled from the university after a fight, and the school confirmed that he was expelled on July 22.
The University of Arizona said it was grieving Salazar’s death and called her part of the campus community. In its statement, the school offered condolences to her family, friends and others who knew her. It also said officials had been in contact with her family and were providing support and resources during what it described as a very difficult time.
Salazar’s family is now trying to make sense of a loss that has shaken them and the campus community. Her mother said the 19-year-old was the family’s first child to go off to college, a milestone they celebrated with pride. Salazar had received a scholarship to attend UA when she was 17, and her mother said she was preparing to begin her third year at the university.
