ROME -- Italian police took a suspect into custody Tuesday in the death of an American college student who was about to begin summer classes in Rome. News of the young man's death has hit home for families of Americans who study overseas.

Beau Solomon was last seen early Friday morning at a bar with a group of friends just hours after arriving in Rome. After he failed to show up the next morning for orientation, Solomon's roommate alerted university officials.

Police tell CBS News they believe Solomon got into a fight with the suspect, Massimo Galioto, who is homeless.

A woman who identified herself as Galioto's companion told Italian TV Solomon approached them saying he had just been robbed. She claims Solomon and Galioto then got into an angry scuffle.

Police believe Solomon was pushed into the Tiber River, where his body was found days later close to the bar.

Family members say the boy's credit card had purchases made on it after his disappearance.

Fellow students in Rome are shocked by his sudden and tragic death.

"You're a little bit more cautious, but you are aware of the fact that people have to be careful," a student said.

More than 300,000 American students study abroad every year. While the programs foster independence, they also raise the need for safety concerns to be addressed.

"Parents should actually talk to their kids about how to know what their limits are," Amy DiBernardo, a social worker at NYU Langone Medical Center, told CBS News. "Some of the dangers that might present themselves abroad that may not actually present themselves in their hometown, in their contained units."

Police say they hope the completed autopsy will help them determine exactly how Solomon died.