Navy Reservist arrested, accused of fleeing to Hong Kong after wife's body found in Virginia freezer

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NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A man accused of fleeing to Hong Kong after his wife's body was found in a freezer in their Virginia apartment has been apprehended, authorities said.

David Varela, a 38-year-old Navy Reservist, was wanted on a first-degree murder charge in the death of Lina M. Guerra, 39, who was found dead at their Norfolk apartment in February, FBI Director Kash Patel announced in a social media post. Varela had been on the run for more than two months, “but justice doesn’t forget,” he said.

Varela was returned to the United States on Wednesday and remains in California, where he faces federal charges, Norfolk police said Thursday in a news release.

A notice filed Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco states that Varela was arrested on an unlawful flight warrant and accused of fleeing to Hong Kong from Virginia to avoid prosecution for first-degree murder and concealing a dead body to prevent detection.

On Feb. 5, Norfolk police searched the home of Varela and Guerra, identified in an FBI affidavit as Lisa Maria Guerra Echavarria, after her brother reported her missing. Her brother hadn’t been in touch with her for more than two weeks and detectives hadn’t been able to reach her or Varela.

Varela, a U.S. Navy Reservist on active duty, hadn’t responded to calls from his supervisor, who told police that was unusual, according to the affidavit. During the search, a woman was found dead in the kitchen’s freezer, and preliminary fingerprints determined the woman was Echavarria.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide, Norfolk police said when they announced charges against Varela. Police did not release details of a motive or the circumstances surrounding her death.

Homeland Security Investigations determined that Varela took a flight to Hong Kong around the day the search took place, according to the affidavit, which also noted that emergency disclosure requests from WhatsApp showed location data originating in Hong Kong.

Online court records do not list an attorney who could comment of Varela’s behalf.