Crime & Safety
Body Of Missing USF Student Found; Roommate Arrested, Sheriff Says
The body of 1 of the 2 missing USF doctoral students was found on the Howard Frankland Bridge and his roommate was arrested, a report said.
Updated: Friday, 4:01 p.m.
TAMPA, FL — The body of Zamil Limon, one of two University of South Florida doctoral students missing for over a week, was found Friday morning on the Howard Frankland Bridge, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The second student, Nahida S. Bristy, is still missing, and detectives continue to search areas near the bridge, the agency said.
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Limon’s roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, was arrested Friday in connection with the case, after an unrelated domestic violence incident at a home in the 14000 block of Pine Glen Circle, according to HCSO.
His charges include battery, false imprisonment, tampering with physical evidence, failure to report a death, and unlawfully holding or moving a dead body, deputies said.
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Limon and Bristy, both 27, were last seen separately on April 16, USF police said in a news release.
The sheriff’s office took over the search for the students, following leads in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, and declared them endangered on Thursday.
Members of the HCSO SWAT team responded to the domestic violence incident involving Abugharbieh at the Pine Glen Circle home on Friday just after 9 a.m.
He barricaded himself inside the home, and after a brief standoff with deputies, he was taken into custody around 10:30 a.m.
At the same time, detectives were following investigative leads in the area of the bridge, where Limon’s remains were found.
His cause of death will be determined by the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Anyone with information about Bristy’s disappearance is asked to contact HCSO at 813-247-8200.
“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. We will continue to follow every fact, pursue every lead, and use every tool available to hold those responsible fully accountable. Our thoughts remain with the families of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy during this time.”
Limon and Bristy, who are both from Bangladesh, had previously dated, Bristy’s older brother, Zahaid Hasan Pranto, speaking from Bangladesh, told NBC News.
“From my sister’s friends, I came to know like she was still emotionally engaged,” he said.
Limon’s younger brother, Zubaer Ahmed, also speaking from Bangladesh, told the news outlet that the couple were “close friends” who were still talking about potentially getting married in the future.
They had been “thinking about having [a] future together,” but both were currently dedicated to their studies, he said.
Ahmed told Fox news that his brother “is a very responsible person, and that’s why the situation is so unpredictable and unusual to us … like, and very suspicious.”
The family is “in deep pain and [it’s a devastating situation,” the brother added.
Limon, who is pursuing a doctoral degree in geography, environmental science and policy, was last seen on April 16 around 9 a.m. at Avalon Heights, an off-campus apartment complex not far from campus, USF police said in a news release.
He was scheduled to present his thesis on the use of AI in environmental science this week, CBS News reported.
Bristy, who is studying chemical engineering, was last seen on April 16 around 10 a.m. at the NES building on USF’s Tampa campus at 121 USF Sweetgum Lane.
A family friend told police they were missing on April 17, just before 5 p.m., after being unable to contact either of them
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office documented and processed Limon’s missing person’s report, while USF police handled the missing person’s report for Bristy.
Their lack of communication is unlike them, Md Rakibuzzaman, a friend of Limon and a graduate student at the University of Georgia, told WFLA.
“It doesn’t feel normal,” he said, “It’s a pretty complex puzzle to me. Like I said, he is a very decent person, but what’s going on in his personal life…I don’t know.”
Authorities said there are no signs of foul play, reports said.
Larry McKinnon, a spokesperson for USF police, told the USF Oracle that the department believes the two disappearances are related.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Limon or Bristy are asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200.
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