Police identify the body of 1 missing USF student, second still missing as roommate is charged

Police identify the body of 1 missing USF student, second still missing as roommate is charged 1 of 6 | Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Zamil Limon’s remains were found on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning, but Nahida Bristy is still missing. 2 of 6 | Detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office join an investigation inside the Lake Forest subdivision of Tampa, Fla., on Friday, April 24, 2026, where authorities said a man was taken into custody after barricading himself inside a home, in connection to the search for two missing Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida graduate students. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP) 3 of 6 | The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responds to a neighborhood close to the Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida campus, Friday, April 24, 2026 in Tampa, Fla. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office via AP) 4 of 6 | The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responds to a neighborhood close to the Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida campus, on Friday, April 24, 2026 in Tampa, Fla. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office via AP) 5 of 6 | Detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office join an investigation inside the Lake Forest subdivision of Tampa, Fla., on Friday, April 24, 2026, where authorities said a man was taken into custody after barricading himself inside a home, in connection to the search for two missing Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida graduate students. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP) 6 of 6 | People gather near the entrance of the Lake Forest subdivision of Tampa, Fla., on Friday, April 24, 2026, where authorities said a man was taken into custody after barricading himself inside a home, in connection to the search for two missing Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida graduate students. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP) 1 of 6 Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Zamil Limon’s remains were found on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning, but Nahida Bristy is still missing. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 2 of 6 Detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office join an investigation inside the Lake Forest subdivision of Tampa, Fla., on Friday, April 24, 2026, where authorities said a man was taken into custody after barricading himself inside a home, in connection to the search for two missing Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida graduate students. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 3 of 6 The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responds to a neighborhood close to the Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida campus, Friday, April 24, 2026 in Tampa, Fla. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 4 of 6 The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responds to a neighborhood close to the Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida campus, on Friday, April 24, 2026 in Tampa, Fla. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 5 of 6 Detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office join an investigation inside the Lake Forest subdivision of Tampa, Fla., on Friday, April 24, 2026, where authorities said a man was taken into custody after barricading himself inside a home, in connection to the search for two missing Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida graduate students. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 6 of 6 People gather near the entrance of the Lake Forest subdivision of Tampa, Fla., on Friday, April 24, 2026, where authorities said a man was taken into custody after barricading himself inside a home, in connection to the search for two missing Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida graduate students. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] The body of a Bangladeshi doctoral student who went missing with his girlfriend from the Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida was found on a bridge over Tampa Bay, and his roommate has been taken into custody, law enforcement authorities said Friday.Zamil Limon’s remains were found on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning, but Nahida Bristy is still missing, Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said. Limon’s roommate Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih, 26, was taken into custody at his family’s home nearby on preliminary charges that include unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment and battery. He was expected to make a first appearance in court Saturday morning. “We are still actively searching for Nahida,” Maurer said, appealing to the public to share any useful information. Law enforcement dive teams were searching the bay near the bridge as part of those efforts, the sheriff’s office said. Officers encountered Abugharbeih as they responded to a report of domestic violence at his family’s home, just north of the campus, and were able to move his relatives to safety. But then he barricaded himself inside and refused to come out. A SWAT team responded — along with a drone, a robot and crisis negotiators — before Abugarbeih came out with his hands up, apparently wearing nothing but a blue towel. “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.” People gather near the entrance of the Lake Forest subdivision of Tampa, Fla., on Friday, April 24, 2026, where authorities said a man was taken into custody after barricading himself inside a home, in connection to the search for two missing Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida graduate students. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP) People gather near the entrance of the Lake Forest subdivision of Tampa, Fla., on Friday, April 24, 2026, where authorities said a man was taken into custody after barricading himself inside a home, in connection to the search for two missing Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida graduate students. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Limon and Bristy, both 27, were considering getting married, a relative said. They disappeared from campus on April 16. Limon was last seen at his home in an off-campus apartment complex where he lived with Abugharbeih. Bristy, who lived off campus, was last seen an hour later at a campus science building. A family friend contacted authorities last Friday after being unable to contact either one, USF police said.Investigators spoke with Abugharbeih, who is a native-born U.S. citizen, on Thursday, Maurer said, but after initially talking, Abugharbeih chose to end the interview. He said Abugharbeih was speaking with detectives again after his arrest Friday morning.There are no other suspects in the investigation at this time, Maurer said.An autopsy is being done on the remains to determine the manner and cause of Limon’s death, and those results are expected Saturday morning, he said. Detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office join an investigation inside the Lake Forest subdivision of Tampa, Fla., on Friday, April 24, 2026, where authorities said a man was taken into custody after barricading himself inside a home, in connection to the search for two missing Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida graduate students. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP) Detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office join an investigation inside the Lake Forest subdivision of Tampa, Fla., on Friday, April 24, 2026, where authorities said a man was taken into custody after barricading himself inside a home, in connection to the search for two missing Florida" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="2842" data-entity-type="organization">University of South Florida graduate students. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Abugharbeih had been a USF student but was not currently enrolled. University records showed he had attended the school from Spring 2021 through Spring 2023, and had pursued a BS in Management, a university spokesperson said.Limon was studying geography, environmental science and policy, and Bristy is studying chemical engineering.Abugharbeih had several previous arrests, the sheriff’s office said. He was charged with battery and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling in September 2023, and with battery that May — both classified in court records as misdemeanors. Court records show Abugharbeih entered into a diversion program for first-time offenders charged with misdemeanors. He completed the program in 2024 and the charges were discontinued. A phone call to his lawyer in that case was not immediately returned. Hillsborough County Court records also showed two domestic violence petitions filed by a family member in 2023. A judge granted an injunction in one case and denied the other petition. He also was accused of traffic violations.This story was first published on April 24, 2026. It was updated on Apr. 25, 2026 to correct that Nahida Bristy lived off campus.____ This story has been updated to correct that it was Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer who spoke Friday morning, not the sheriff. ___ Lauer reported from Philadelphia and Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press reporter Michael Schneider in Orlando, Florida, contributed. Boone is a correspondent who covers breaking news, the courts, accountability issues and more for The Associated Press. She is based in Boise, Idaho.