Foreign Student Strangles Arizona College Student After Breakup

This happening to her feels so unfair in so many ways," said the mother of slain University of Arizona student Julissa "Julie" Salazar. The nineteen-year-old was found strangled to death inside her apartment near campus on Thursday. Investigators believe her alleged killer, Varun Batchigari, a twenty-year-old from India, boarded a flight out of the United States and was captured by law enforcement in Berlin, Germany.

Reports suggest his motive may have been tied to a breakup with Salazar. Her mother told Fox News Digital that she had broken up with the suspect before he killed her. "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.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson sent a statement saying: "Indian national Varun Batchigari is a foreign student who lawfully entered the United States and enrolled at the University of Arizona in January of 2024 under the Biden administration. As this is an ongoing criminal investigation, limited information is available at this time. Visas provided to foreign students to live, study, and work in the United States are a privilege, not a right. When you break our laws, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country. ICE, like all our federal and local law enforcement partners, is focused on public safety." He was expelled from the University of Arizona following a fight, according to KOLD. The university confirmed 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." Her mother noted he no longer had any business here or around the student body, especially as a threat. 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.

Salazar leaves behind her mother, father and two younger sisters. She was a "bright light," her mother said – in more ways than one. 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. 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, she added.

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. "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." That is how her mother remembers the daughter who recently died. Before Salazar began her academic career at UA, she already stood out in school. Her mother noted that the young woman graduated from high school as part of the top 5% of her class. A new podcast episode on 'Crime & Justice with Donna Rotunno' now explores these details further.

"She skipped seventh grade and moved on to eighth grade because of how smart she is," her mother insisted during an interview. The family believes they will find answers soon. "I know we will get justice for my baby girl," the grieving parent said with quiet resolve. This story has drawn attention from news outlets across the region.

Fox News Digital has reached out to authorities in Berlin, Germany, seeking official comment on the case. Stepheny Price contributed to this report for Fox News Digital. The investigation continues as families wait for clarity. Communities everywhere worry about safety and accountability when such tragedies occur. No one should suffer alone after a loss like this.