Body
The body of a missing University of South Florida doctoral student was found Friday morning on the Howard Frankland bridge over Tampa Bay, while authorities continued searching for the student’s girlfriend, officials said. Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said law enforcement also took the students’ roommate, Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih, into custody and charged him on preliminary allegations that include unlawfully moving a dead body and failure to report a death.
Maurer said Zamil Limon’s remains were discovered on the bridge Friday morning. He said Nahida Bristy, 27, remained missing despite the discovery, and he urged the public to share any information that could help investigators locate her.
Authorities said Abugharbeih, 26, was taken into custody at his family’s home nearby. Maurer said officers encountered him as they responded to a report of domestic violence at the home north of campus, moved relatives to safety, and then faced resistance from Abugharbeih, who barricaded himself inside and refused to come out.
Investigators said a SWAT team responded along with a drone, a robot and crisis negotiators before Abugharbeih came out with his hands up, reportedly wearing only a blue towel. Sheriff Chad Chronister said in remarks at the scene that the case “has shaken our community” and that detectives were working “tirelessly and relentlessly” to uncover the truth.
According to Maurer, Limon and Bristy disappeared from the USF area on April 16. A relative said they were considering getting married, and a campus record and witness accounts described Limon as studying geography, environmental science and policy, while Bristy studied chemical engineering.
Investigators said Limon was last seen at his off-campus home in an apartment complex where he lived with Abugharbeih. Officials said Bristy, who lived off campus, was last seen an hour later at a campus science building. A USF police statement said a family friend contacted authorities last Friday after being unable to contact either Limon or Bristy.
Maurer said investigators spoke with Abugharbeih on Thursday, after the disappearance, and that he chose to end the interview and later spoke with detectives again after his arrest Friday morning. Maurer said there are no other suspects in the investigation at this time.
Authorities said they expected an autopsy to determine the manner and cause of Limon’s death, with results due Saturday morning. A university spokesperson said Abugharbeih had previously been a USF student but was not currently enrolled; records showed he attended USF from spring 2021 through spring 2023 and pursued a BS in Management.
Court records cited by law enforcement showed Abugharbeih had previous arrests, including misdemeanor charges in 2023 for battery and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and a May 2023 battery charge. Prosecutors said he entered a diversion program for first-time offenders in that case, completed it in 2024, and the charges were discontinued. The sheriff’s office also said court records showed two domestic violence petitions filed by a family member in 2023—one resolved by an injunction granted by a judge and another petition that was denied. A phone call to Abugharbeih’s lawyer was not immediately returned, officials said.