Indian student found strangled at university parking lot in Chicago

Ruth George, 19, an Indian student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, was found dead at a university parking lot, Saturday. Police have taken a person of interest into custody, ABC News reported

Investigators believe the death was a result of foul play, UIC Police Chief Kevin Booker said in a statement.

Late Sunday, George's death was ruled a homicide by strangulation, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

George's family reported to campus police on Saturday around 11 a.m. that they had not heard from her since the night before, Booker said. Police officers and members of George's family found her in the back seat of a family owned vehicle after her phone pinged to a parking garage on Halsted Street on campus, the report said

Investigators determined that George was alone when she entered the parking garage around 1:35 a.m. Saturday, and a person of interest was seen entering the garage shortly after she did. He is not affiliated with UIC.

‘Considering that it's finals time, a lot of people do study at the library pretty late and I think a lot of people choose that lot because it's right there,’ an official said.

According to an email sent to students by UIC's chancellor, the 19-year-old was an honors student and a kinesiology major with dreams to become a health professional.

‘The traumatic loss of life of one of our community members is very difficult to comprehend and surely invokes a range of emotions for all of us,’ Chancellor Michael Amiridis said. ‘The safety and well-being of everyone at UIC is our foremost concern. I encourage you to continue to take advantage of the prevention tools and resources available on campus and to remain vigilant while you are both on and off campus.’