Varun Batchigari Arrested in Germany Over 19-Year-Old Arizona Woman's Murder

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 9

German authorities arrested 20-year-old Varun Batchigari after the FBI said he boarded a Houston-to-India flight, and Arizona prosecutors want him extradited on a first-degree murder charge.
Tucson police say Batchigari strangled 19-year-old Julissa Salazar in an off-campus apartment near the University of Arizona, then took her phone and credit cards and texted her mother while posing as Salazar.
Those messages alarmed Salazar's family and triggered a welfare check that led officers to her body, according to investigators.
A felony warrant describes a deteriorating relationship, alleged domestic violence and prior violent behavior, including an earlier assault case, while witnesses said Salazar had moved out and planned to end the relationship.
Federal records reviewed by Fox News said Batchigari entered the U.S. on an F-1 visa in January 2024 and still appeared to be in lawful status despite reported expulsion from the University of Arizona.