MIAMI - The body of a missing University of South Florida (USF) doctoral student was found Friday near the Howard Frankland Bridge, and his roommate was arrested after a domestic violence incident at their home, authorities said, turning a weeklong missing persons search into a death investigation as a second student remains missing.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said the remains were identified as 27-year-old Zamil Limon, a doctoral student from Bangladesh. Nahida Bristy, also 27 and a USF doctoral student from Bangladesh, remains missing. Authorities said the search for her is active.
"We are still actively searching for Nahida," Chronister said, asking anyone with information to contact investigators.
BREAKING: A person is in custody in connection to the disappearance of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, authorities said. https://t.co/gv8LGVgf7C
— CBS Miami (@CBSMiami) April 24, 2026
According to a report from the Associated Press, Limon's roommate, Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih, was taken into custody on preliminary charges that include domestic violence, battery, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, failure to report a death, and unlawfully moving a body, authorities said. Officials have not announced a cause of death for Limon and have not said whether Abugharbeih has been charged with killing him.
The arrest followed a tense scene at a home about a mile from the USF campus. Chronister and USF Police Chief Chris Daniel said officers responding to a domestic violence report were able to remove the suspect's family safely before the suspect barricaded himself inside. A SWAT response ended without injury, authorities said.
The case began after Limon and Bristy were reported missing last week. USF police said both were last seen April 16, but at separate locations. Limon, who was pursuing a doctorate in geography, environmental science, and policy, was last seen around 9 a.m. at his home on Avalon Heights Boulevard. Bristy, a chemical engineering doctoral student, was last seen about an hour later at the NES Building on USF's Tampa campus.
A family friend contacted authorities on April 17 after being unable to reach either student. Investigators later upgraded the case to "missing and endangered," saying new information had increased concern for their safety, though officials declined to release details to protect the investigation.
Relatives and friends told authorities and news outlets that the pair's disappearance was out of character. AP reported that Limon and Bristy were a couple, while People reported that family members described the relationship as emotionally close and said Bristy left behind personal items, including a laptop and lunch box, at a university lab.
The discovery of Limon's remains near one of Tampa Bay's busiest bridges has deepened concern on and around the USF campus, where investigators had spent days following leads in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said it had taken the lead in the investigation, with USF police continuing to assist.
Authorities have not released a motive, a timeline of Limon's death or details about Bristy's possible whereabouts. They are urging anyone with information to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 813-247-8200.
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