Man living in Tucson accused of killing girlfriend, fleeing country

A 19-year-old woman was found dead in her Tucson apartment near Euclid Avenue and Elm Street, and the man police identify as her boyfriend was arrested in Germany after allegedly trying to leave the country. The case has drawn attention across Tucson because investigators say the suspect, 20-year-old Varun Batchigari, fled through Tucson International Airport shortly after Julissa Rubi Salazar was killed. Batchigari now faces charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping and is awaiting extradition to Pima County.

Tucson police said family members requested a welfare check at Salazar’s apartment on Aug. 6. Tucson Fire Department crews arrived at about 4 p.m. after receiving a call described in a felony warrant as a possible cardiac arrest. Instead, medics found Salazar dead on the floor, with a blanket pulled up to her neck. They observed signs of trauma, including marks and scratches on her neck, and contacted the Tucson Police Department.

Detectives from the department’s Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Unit processed the apartment, interviewed witnesses and reviewed forensic evidence. Police identified Batchigari, who was Salazar’s boyfriend, as the suspect. The warrant states that Salazar had been strangled. Investigators also allege that Batchigari took her cell phone and bank cards after the killing, then used one of the cards to pay for transportation to Tucson International Airport.

According to police, Batchigari flew from Tucson to Houston and then boarded a flight to Germany. His reported destination was India, his home country. Authorities say he planned to continue there after arriving in Germany, but he was arrested before he could complete that trip. The arrest involved coordination between the FBI’s Tucson office and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Berlin. Batchigari remains in custody in Germany while the extradition process moves forward. If returned to Arizona, he is expected to be booked into the Pima County Adult Detention Complex.

The investigation also includes accounts from people who knew Salazar and Batchigari. One of Salazar’s roommates told investigators that Salazar had been planning to end the relationship. The roommate also said Salazar had previously been sexually assaulted by Batchigari and that she was afraid of him because of what the roommate described as a pattern of violent behavior. Another person interviewed by investigators said Batchigari sexually assaulted her at a Halloween party, although that incident was not reported to police.

The warrant describes activity in the apartment on the night before Salazar was found. One roommate told investigators that loud screaming and yelling came from Salazar’s room on Aug. 5. The disturbance continued for several minutes, followed by a short period of silence and then another brief outburst. The roommate said she later heard a woman speaking but could not determine whether anyone else was in the room. She texted Salazar to ask whether she was all right, and Salazar replied that everything was fine and that she and Batchigari had only been arguing.

Investigators also allege that Batchigari tried to make it appear Salazar was communicating with her family after her death. Salazar’s mother told police that messages sent from her daughter’s phone did not match the way Salazar had communicated in the past. Police say Batchigari had taken the phone, adding to the evidence being examined as detectives reconstruct what happened inside the apartment and trace his movements out of Tucson.

Court records and interviews cited by police describe a history involving Batchigari before Salazar’s death. A University of Arizona police case involved him in an assault investigation, and he was later expelled from the university following a fight, according to information reviewed by investigators. A video posted on YouTube identified him as a business analytics student at the university. People interviewed also said he had lost his job, creating problems connected to his visa and ability to pay rent. A friend told investigators that Salazar moved in with others after experiencing problems with Batchigari in late 2025.

Batchigari’s arrest does not resolve the case, and Tucson police said the investigation remains active. He has not been convicted, and the allegations against him will be addressed through the court process after any return to Arizona. Police continue to ask anyone with information about Salazar’s death or Batchigari’s movements to contact the Tucson Police Department. The extradition process, which will determine when he can be brought back to Pima County, is the next major step in the case.