Roommate Facing Additional Charges In Death Of Missing USF Student

TAMPA, FL — The roommate of University of South Florida graduate student Zamil Limon, whose body was found Friday following an 8-day search, is facing additional charges in connection with his death and the disappearance of a second USF student, Nahida Bristy.

Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, is now charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon in the deaths of Limon and Bristy, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. As of Saturday, authorities were still searching for Bristy.

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"Evidence was presented to the State Attorney’s Office, resulting in further charges against Abugharbieh," authorities said. "To protect the integrity of the investigation, we will not be commenting on the findings in the case."

Abugharbieh was previously charged with battery, false imprisonment, tampering with physical evidence, failure to report a death, and unlawfully holding or moving a dead body following an unrelated domestic violence incident on Friday, according to HCSO.

• RELATED: Body Of Missing USF Student Found; Roommate Arrested, Sheriff Says

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 around 9 a.m. on Friday at a home in the 14000 block of Pine Glen Circle.

He barricaded himself inside the home, and after a brief standoff with deputies, police said he was taken into custody around 10:30 a.m.

At the same time, detectives were following investigative leads in the area of the Howard Frankland Bridge, where Limon’s remains were found.

“This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community and impacted many who were hoping for a safe resolution,” Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “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."

Limon's cause of death will be determined by the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Bristy is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200.