A 20-year-old Indian national allegedly strangled his teenage girlfriend to death in Arizona, then hopped on a flight out of the country hoping nobody would notice. Spoiler alert: they noticed.
Varun Batchigari was nabbed during a layover in Germany while trying to make his way back to India, according to reports. The FBI tipped off local German authorities, and just like that, the great escape was over before it even really started.
Here is where this case gets absolutely chilling. Batchigari allegedly murdered 19-year-old Julissa Salazar by strangling her inside an off-campus apartment near the University of Arizona in Tucson. But he did not stop there. Investigators say he swiped her cellphone and credit cards, then started sending text messages to Salazar's own mother while pretending to be her daughter. Let that sink in for a moment.
Those disturbing texts actually backfired spectacularly. They raised enough red flags that the Salazar family contacted police and requested a welfare check. That is when officers discovered Julissa's body.
Batchigari first entered the United States on January 8, 2024, holding a student visa. After the alleged killing, he boarded a flight from Houston headed for India with a stop in Germany. The FBI is now pursuing extradition so he can face first-degree murder charges back in Arizona.
A felony arrest warrant paints an ugly picture of escalating abuse. Multiple witnesses told investigators that Salazar had moved out after problems with Batchigari in late 2025 and was planning to walk away from the relationship due to a history of domestic violence. That decision may have triggered the deadly confrontation.
The warrant contains even more disturbing allegations. One woman told authorities that Batchigari sexually assaulted her at a Halloween party, though she never reported it. Other witnesses described prior violent incidents. Police at the University of Arizona had previously investigated him in connection with an assault case.
Then there is the immigration angle that has everyone asking questions. Batchigari had reportedly been expelled from the university following a fight and subsequently lost his job. Under immigration law, students on F-1 visas are required to maintain enrollment to keep their legal status. Yet somehow, Fox News found that Batchigari still had lawful immigration status at the time of the murder. Nobody can explain how that happened.
The Tucson Police Department confirmed there are no additional updates beyond what has already been made public. Fox News also reached out to the University of Arizona seeking confirmation about enrollment records for both Batchigari and Salazar but received zero response.
This entire case is a massive failure on multiple levels. A young woman lost her life, and the system that should have flagged her alleged killer apparently looked the other way while warning signs piled up like unopened mail.
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