Dallas

Man Charged in Death of SMU Graduate Student

A man is in custody, charged with killing a Southern Methodist University graduate student in Virginia, authorities say.

Sandesh Rajendra Dhavan, 23, was found dead July 7 in a Collinsville, Va., motel room.

Dhavan, an engineering student from India, was working for a company in Virginia as part of an internship program, according to a statement from SMU.

Police in Dallas later arrested 27-year-old Benjamin Rios Tovar on warrants for second-degree murder and the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Further details in the case have not been released.

"SMU extends its heartfelt condolences to his family and other loved ones. SMU's Office of Student Life is reaching out to his fellow students and is offering counseling resources to anyone in the SMU community needing assistance in dealing with this loss," the university's statement continued.

A campus memorial service for Dhavan is being planned for the fall semester.

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