A 20-year-old student was found dead in her apartment near the University of Arizona in Tucson, while US police have arrested a 19-year-old student from India in Berlin, suspected of involvement in her murder.

The victim, Julissa Ruby Salazar, was found dead inside her room after family members notified police, concerned because they had not been able to contact her.

According to authorities and local media, the suspect is Varun Bachigari, with whom Salazar had been in a relationship. Prosecutors suspect that he strangled the student in her apartment.

Investigators identified Bachigar as the main suspect after, according to police, he allegedly took the victim's cell phone and credit cards and then sent several messages to her family members, causing concern among the relatives.

After the incident, the young man allegedly went to Tucson International Airport, where he traveled to Houston and then to Europe. US authorities suspect that his final destination was India. After the arrest warrant was issued, Bachigari was detained in Berlin, in cooperation with German authorities.

Suspicions of a history of violence

The investigation is also examining the history of the relationship between the victim and the suspect.

According to reports, Salazar was planning to separate from Bachigari and had previously had alleged incidents of violence against her. She was also reported to have been the victim of an alleged sexual assault.

Witnesses stated that on August 5, they heard loud screams coming from the student's apartment that lasted for several minutes.

Her friends contacted her to ask if she was okay. According to reports, she replied that she was fine and that she had just had a fight.

Bachigari, meanwhile, was facing another charge of criminal assault. Another woman had also alleged that he sexually assaulted her on Halloween.

Authorities are continuing their investigations to determine the full circumstances of Salazar's death and to collect evidence that will be used in the trial.