Arizona murder suspect arrested in Germany after fleeing US
Arizona murder suspect Varun Batchigari faces extradition from Germany following his arrest in connection with the killing of his girlfriend Julissa Salazar. Former DOJ prosecutor Jim Trusty analyzes the international legal hurdles in bringing the suspect back to face charges, while also discussing Vice President JD Vance’s warning about migrant welfare fraud.
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FIRST ON FOX: “This happening to her feels so unfair in so many ways,” said the mother of slain University of Arizona student Julissa “Julie” Salazar.
Salazar, 19, was found strangled to death in her apartment near campus on Thursday.
Investigators say her alleged killer, Varun Batchigari, 20, from India, boarded a flight out of the U.S. and was captured by law enforcement in Berlin, Germany.
INDIAN NATIONAL ACCUSED OF ARIZONA GIRLFRIEND’S MURDER ENTERED US ON STUDENT VISA: FEDERAL SOURCES
Varun Batchigari is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Julissa Salazar. Federal law enforcement sources told Fox News he entered the U.S. on an F-1 student visa and was arrested in Germany after allegedly attempting to flee to India. (CBP)
Reports say his alleged motive may have been tied to a breakup with Salazar.
Her mother told Fox News Digital that Salazar had “broken up” with the suspect before she was found dead.
Salazar was preparing to enter her third year at the University of Arizona, where she was studying psychology, her mother told Fox News Digital. (Julissa Salazar’s mother)
“She had already had that conversation with him” about ending the relationship, said Salazar’s mother, who asked not to be identified.
Federal law enforcement sources confirmed to Fox News that Batchigari entered the U.S. on an F-1 student visa in January 2024. He was expelled from the University of Arizona following a “fight,” KOLD reported.
The university confirmed to Fox News Digital that Batchigari was expelled on July 22.
“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,” the university said in a statement. “We have been in contact with Julissa’s family and are providing support and resources to those who need them during this very difficult time.”
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A composite image shows Tucson, Arizona, and Varun Batchigari, who is accused of first-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Julissa Salazar. (Cheney Orr/Bloomberg via Getty Images/CBP)
“He no longer had any business here [in the U.S.] or around the student body, especially as a threat,” Salazar’s mother said.
Salazar was a “bright light” and “always willing to help others,” her mother told Fox News Digital. (Julissa Salazar’s mother)
Court records from Pima County, Arizona indicate the University of Arizona Police Department charged Batchigari with assault on May 26.
Before his expulsion, he was a business analytics student who said, “I don’t see work as my purpose. I see it as a tool, something that helps me build a life I actually want,” according to a video he posted to his YouTube account.
In the video he posted in April, he said “I want to travel, see different places, experience different cultures, and do that with someone I care about.”
As Batchigari awaits extradition back to the U.S., the Salazar family is beginning to come to terms with their new normal.
Julie Salazar was the oldest of three sisters. (Julissa Salazar’s mother)
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Salazar leaves behind her mother, father and two younger sisters. She was a “bright light,” her mother said – in more ways than one.
Salazar is survived by her parents and two sisters. (Julissa Salazar’s mother)
Salazar was just 17 years old when she began her studies – with a scholarship – at UA.
“She was our first-generation child going off to college. So this was a huge deal for our entire family,” her mother said.
Salazar was an aspiring child psychologist who was accepted into the University of Arizona on a scholarship, her mother said. (Julissa Salazar’s mother)
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She went on to say, “Us sending her off to be able to live that dream that she wanted to live was such an amazing and proud moment for us.”
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Before she was killed, she was an aspiring child psychologist working toward her degree at UA; her mother said she was about to begin her third year at the university.
Salazar was a first-generation college student. (Julissa Salazar’s mother)
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“She was a big advocate for survivors. She was a big advocate for new first-generation students. She was a big advocate for mental health.”
Prior to her academic career at UA, Salazar graduated high school at the top 5% of her class, her mother said.
Salazar was 19 years old when she found found strangled in her Tucson, Arizona apartment, investigators say. (Julissa Salazar’s mother)
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“She skipped seventh grade and moved on to eighth grade because of how smart she is,” he mother said.
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“I know we will get justice for my baby girl,” she said.
Julie Salazar’s mother shares photos of when her daughter was younger. (Julissa Salazar’s mother)
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and authorities in Berlin, Germany, for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
