Indian national arrested in Germany after girlfriend found dead in USA

An Indian national accused of killing his 19-year-old girlfriend in Tucson, Arizona, was arrested in Germany after leaving the United States while police investigated her death.

Varun Batchigari, 20, boarded a flight from Tucson International Airport to Germany en route to India on Thursday, the same day Julissa Rubi Salazar was found unresponsive in her apartment near the University of Arizona, according to the Tucson Police Department.

Salazar’s family had requested a welfare check after being unable to contact her. First responders reported indications of trauma, but police have not disclosed her injuries.

Batchigari was arrested after arriving in Germany with assistance from U.S. and German authorities. He faces charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping and was awaiting extradition to Arizona on Friday.

University of Arizona spokesman Mitch Zak said Batchigari had been expelled from the university on July 22. He did not disclose why.

“We can confirm that Julissa Rubi Salazar was a University of Arizona student and offer our deepest condolences to her family, friends and all who knew her as a member of our campus community,” Zak said.