A Navy reservist from Virginia — accused of murdering his wife after her body was found in a freezer — was arrested in Hong Kong, ending a two-month-long international manhunt, authorities said Wednesday.
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David Varela, 38, will face a first-degree murder charge following this “successful overseas apprehension,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement.
He was apprehended late Tuesday in the former British colony and taken to San Francisco on Wednesday, where he’s expected to appear before a judge on Wednesday afternoon, Virginia officials said.
Lina M. Guerra Echavarria.Norfolk Police Department
Varela “has been on the run for over two months attempting to avoid prosecution for these heinous crimes, but justice doesn’t forget,” Patel added.
Lina M. Guerra, 39, was reported missing on Feb. 4 and the Norfolk medical examiner ruled her death to be a homicide.
“Lina’s body was found inside a freezer in their Norfolk apartment,” according to Patel.
Even though investigators were confident they could find Varela in Hong Kong, his ultimate apprehension came as a relief to Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi.
“I was always hopeful that that the long arm of the law would ultimately reach Mr. Varela and allow us to secure justice for Lina Guerra and her family,” the prosecutor Fatehi told NBC News on Thursday.
“But I’ve learned that there is no such thing certainty in our business.”
Before her body was found, Guerrai was the subject of a “critical missing adult alert” by Virginia State Police.
The 4-foot-9, 100-pound woman’s “disappearance poses a credible threat to their health and safety as determined by the investigating agency,” Virginia police said at the time.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.