Karim Zakikhani: Where is Sarita Anderson’s Ex-Boyfriend Today?

Sarita Anderson has always been a vibrant and hopeful woman whose world was upended by a betrayal that completely changed her life. She had entered into a relationship with Karim Zakikhani, believing she had found her forever person. However, she didn’t realize that he was hiding a devastating secret that would put her life in unimaginable danger. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Evil Lives Here: Sleeping with the Enemy’ provides a detailed account of Sarita’s experience and how justice was eventually served.

Karim Zakikhani Intentionally Infected Sarita Anderson With a Chronic Condition

Karim Zakikhani was born sometime in 1984 and had always wanted to make his own mark. He joined as a security officer at a local hospital in Houston, Texas, where he met Sarita Anderson in 2013. She was also a security officer there and was in charge of training him. His friendly and charming nature quickly attracted Sarita to him, and they soon got closer. However, when they became intimate for the first time, he was reluctant to wear a condom. As their relationship began getting serious, she wanted both of them to get tested for STDs and HIV in December 2013. When Sarita’s report came out negative, she showed it to him. However, Karim didn’t show her his report and claimed that the doctor said he would call him if he tested positive. They began having unprotected sex, and Sarita was completely okay till April 2014.

Sarita then started getting sick with flu-like symptoms, high fever, and body aches. When it lasted for around two weeks, she consulted a doctor. Gradually, her condition deteriorated, with hair fall, weight loss, and blotches on the skin becoming common. When the doctor reportedly informed her that these could be signs of HIV, Karim, who had accompanied her to these appointments, continued reassuring her that it wasn’t the case. In May 2014, she came down with pneumonia and several severe conditions, which sent her to the ICU. She was diagnosed HIV positive after a thrush was discovered in her mouth in September 2014. Since he was the only person with whom Sarita was intimate, it became evident to her that Karim had HIV. She initially suspected that he had cheated on her, but he denied the allegation.

Karim also claimed that he hadn’t lied about his report. When Sarita contacted his mother, the former was shocked to discover he was married. She tracked down his wife on social media, who informed her that she herself had tested positive for HIV in 2009 and got it from Karim. Sarita posted about her predicament on social media, which further revealed that many other women had gotten HIV from him. Upon learning from a colleague that this was a crime, she ultimately reported it to the officials in June 2016. Investigation of his medical reports further revealed that he was reportedly diagnosed HIV positive in March 2008. Karim was arrested after months and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for knowingly infecting Sarita with HIV.

Karim Zakikhani is Serving His Time at a Texas Prison Facility Today

There were several pieces of evidence available against Karim Zakikhani. Apart from his medical diagnosis report confirming he had tested HIV positive, the medical records of Sarita Anderson became a key piece of evidence. The latter showed that she had not been diagnosed with HIV or even treated for the condition before September 2013. Under Texas law, HIV is usually considered a deadly weapon in such cases, due to which the prosecutors had initially charged Karim with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. When he failed to disclose his medical status, which led to her getting an infection, he committed a grave crime. Ultimately, in June 2018, Karim pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of a family member, causing serious bodily injury, which is a first-degree felony charge.

As per his plea agreement, Karim was sentenced to 30 years in prison on June 20, 2018. The case never proceeded to a jury trial because his guilty plea precluded the need for one. Recounting the tragic experience, Sarita expressed, “I call it my tragedy, the testimony, how I had to dig myself out of that hole, and basically, I feel like the old me died, but I worked real hard to rebirth a new person, and I feel like that person is better. You don’t know how strong you can be until you have no choice but to be strong.” As of writing, Karim is incarcerated at Ellis Unit – Texas, Department of Criminal Justice, located in Huntsville, Walker County, Texas. He will not be eligible for parole before June 6, 2031, with his projected release date being June 5, 2046.