{"id":34429,"date":"2026-08-09T11:20:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T06:20:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=34429"},"modified":"2026-08-09T11:20:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T06:20:04","slug":"indian-national-varun-batchigari-kills-arizona-girlfriend-julissa-salazar-arrested-at-germany-airport-police","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=34429","title":{"rendered":"Indian national Varun Batchigari kills Arizona girlfriend Julissa Salazar, arrested at Germany airport: police"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<p>An Indian national allegedly killed his girlfriend \u2013 who planned to break up with him over his history of domestic violence\u00a0\u2013 before he was caught in Europe trying to escape back to his home country.<\/p>\n<p>Varun Batchigari is suspected of first-degree murder in the strangulation of 19-year-old college student Julissa Rubi Salazar inside her apartment near the University of Arizona in Tucson on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>Salazar was found dead with signs of trauma at around 4 p.m. when police responded to reports of an unresponsive person after the teen\u2019s family requested a welfare check on their daughter, the Tucson Police Department said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><button class=\"button button--modal-trigger\" aria-label=\"Open the image in a modal.\" data-modal-image=\"40258168\"><br \/>\n\t<default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"icon-plus\" fill=\"#fff\" viewbox=\"0 0 1033 1000\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\"><default:path d=\"M380 364V0h273v355h380v290H653v355H380V645H0V355h380v9z\"\/><\/default:svg><br \/>\n<\/button><br \/>\n<img style=\"aspect-ratio:1.77777778;display:block\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-modal-image=\"40258168\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?w=720\" alt=\"Julissa Salazar was found dead inside her off-campus apartment in Tucson, Arizona, on Aug. 6, 2026.\" class=\"wp-image-40258168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 720w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=300,169&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=600,338&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 600w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=576,324&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 576w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=440,248&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 440w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=424,239&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 424w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=180,101&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 180w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=107,60&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 107w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=130,73&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 130w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=71,40&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 71w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=124,70&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 124w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=96,54&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 96w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=200,113&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 200w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=231,130&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 231w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=322,181&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 322w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=664,374&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 664w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=142,80&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 142w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=87,49&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 87w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=234,132&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 234w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879857.jpg?resize=50,28&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\"\/><figcaption>Julissa Salazar was found dead inside her off-campus apartment in Tucson, Arizona, on Aug. 6, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">Gofundme<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Detectives identified Batchigari, Salazar\u2019s boyfriend, as the prime suspect after he allegedly stole her phone and credit cards and sent a series of messages to her mother, which sparked concern with her family, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kold.com\/2026\/08\/08\/tucson-man-accused-killing-girlfriend-fleeing-country\/\">according to KOLD.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Officials discovered the alleged killer escaped to Tucson International Airport, where he took a flight to Houston that connected to another flight out to Berlin, Germany, officials said.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>The 20-year-old was believed to be heading for his home country of India. <\/p>\n<p>An arrest warrant was issued for Batchigari and Arizona officials worked with federal agents to detain the suspect after he arrived in Germany, Tucson Police said.<\/p>\n<p>Salazar had been planning on breaking up with Batchigari after he allegedly sexually assaulted her in the past, according to the outlet.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><button class=\"button button--modal-trigger\" aria-label=\"Open the image in a modal.\" data-modal-image=\"40258173\"><br \/>\n\t<default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"icon-plus\" fill=\"#fff\" viewbox=\"0 0 1033 1000\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\"><default:path d=\"M380 364V0h273v355h380v290H653v355H380V645H0V355h380v9z\"\/><\/default:svg><br \/>\n<\/button><br \/>\n<img style=\"aspect-ratio:1.76856649;display:block\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-modal-image=\"40258173\" width=\"1024\" height=\"579\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Varun Batchigari is suspected of first-degree murder in the strangulation of 19-year-old college student Julissa Rubi Salazar.\" class=\"wp-image-40258173\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 2545w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=300,170&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=768,434&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 768w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=1024,579&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=1536,868&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=2048,1158&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=600,339&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 600w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=878,496&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 878w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=744,421&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 744w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=576,326&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 576w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=440,249&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 440w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=424,240&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 424w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=180,102&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 180w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=107,61&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 107w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=130,73&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 130w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=71,40&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 71w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=124,70&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 124w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=96,54&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 96w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=200,113&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 200w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=231,131&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 231w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=322,182&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 322w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=664,375&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 664w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=106,60&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 106w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=141,80&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 141w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=1200,679&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1200w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=87,49&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 87w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=234,132&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 234w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/tucson-police-department-confirmed-varun-136879856.jpg?resize=50,28&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Varun Batchigari is suspected of first-degree murder in the strangulation of 19-year-old college student Julissa Rubi Salazar. <span class=\"credit\">Youtube\/ Varun Batchigari<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Her roommates allegedly heard loud screaming coming from her room that lasted for several minutes on Aug. 5, days before Salazar was found dead, KOLD reported.<\/p>\n<p>The concerned roommates texted the teen afterwards asking if she was alright, only to receive a message saying she was fine and it was just an argument.<\/p>\n<p>Batchigari had been attending the nearby University of Arizona, where he was studying business analytics, before he was expelled for a fight, the outlet reported.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Morning Report\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>He also had a history of domestic violence and had an open criminal case against him for assault \u2013 knowingly causing injury filed in Pima County Court on May 26, according to records viewed by The Post. <\/p>\n<p>One woman interviewed by investigators claimed Batchigari had sexually assaulted her on Halloween, but she didn\u2019t report the incident.<\/p>\n<p>Batchigari had also recently lost his job, losing his ability to pay rent and putting his visa status in jeopardy.<\/p>\n<p>Batchigari will be extradited to Arizona, where he will be booked into Pima County Adult Detention on his first-degree murder charge.<\/p>\n<p>Salazar was remembered as a beloved daughter and sister who was enjoying life away from home studying at college.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo parent should ever have to experience the heartbreak of losing a child, and Julie\u2019s parents are now facing a loss that no family could ever be prepared for,\u201d a GoFundMe set up for Salazar\u2019s family read. \u201cShe leaves behind her parents and two younger sisters who love and miss her more than words can express.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An Indian national allegedly killed his girlfriend \u2013 who planned to break up with him over his history of domestic violence\u00a0\u2013 before he was caught in Europe trying to escape back to his home country. Varun Batchigari is suspected of first-degree murder in the strangulation of 19-year-old college student Julissa Rubi Salazar inside her apartment&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/136880092.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34429\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}