Who is Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh, suspect arrested after missing Bangladeshi student's body found in Florida?

Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh, the roommate of one of the missing students, Zamil Limon, was arrested yesterday morning (24 April) after law enforcement responded to his home following a reported domestic violence incident, Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said, according to CNN.

Along with Limon, Nahida S Bristy, another Bangladeshi student who also went missing, remains untracked.

The arrest of Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh has brought renewed focus on the case, which continues to dominate the headlines in both Florida and Bangladesh. 

Limon and Bristy, both 27, were reported missing by a family friend on 17 April. They were last seen around the university campus the previous day, according to the university's police.

A medical examiner is still determining Limon's cause of death and may share autopsy results over the weekend, Maurer said.

Limon's family has told CNN they had become desperate for answers about what happened to the joyful, promising young researcher.

As the investigation and search for Bristy continues, Moez Limayem, the university's president, said his staff will remain in contact with the students' loved ones to provide support.

"Please join me in praying for the families and friends of Zamil, and for the safe return of Nahida," Limayem said in a message to faculty and students.

Who Is Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh?

Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh, a 26-year-old former USF student, who was roommate of Limon, was arrested, reports CNN.

A USF spokesperson told CNN that he attended the university from 2021 to 2023 while pursuing a bachelor's degree in management.

According to local media reports that cite the Sheriff, the charges against him include domestic violence, battery, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, failure to report a death and unlawfully moving a body.

The arrest was on the basis of a domestic violence call at the suspect's home yesterday morning, local media reported.

"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 in a statement, reports CNN.

Roommate had been on investigators' radar

Before his arrest yesterday, Abugharbieh had been interviewed by law enforcement at least twice. He initially spoke with investigators but stopped cooperating during a second round of questioning on Thursday, Maurer said, according to CNN.

By Friday, the chief deputy said investigators had been able to "link the suspect to this case and to (Limon's) body."

During the arrest, Abugharbieh barricaded himself inside a home, prompting a response from a SWAT team and crisis negotiators, the sheriff's office said. Footage of the arrest shows an armored vehicle parked in the front yard as Abugharbieh emerges from the front door with his hands raised and a bath towel tied around his waist.

Abugharbieh was arrested at his family's home, where a judge had previously barred him from entering following domestic violence allegations made by his brother.

Court records show the suspect was arrested twice in 2023 on battery charges that were later dropped. After one of those incidents, his brother sought an injunction barring Abugharbieh from approaching him or returning to the home. In court filings, the brother alleged Abugharbieh assaulted both him and their mother during an argument in which he was being told to leave the house.

When the injunction expired last May, the brother asked the court to extend it, saying he did not want to "run the risk of him returning." The request was denied.