Background: Icon Norfolk Apartments located on the 300 block of East Main Street in Norfolk, Virginia (Google Maps). Inset left: David Varela (WTKR). Inset right: Lina Guerra (Norfolk Police Department).
A man accused of killing his wife and stuffing her body in their Virginia apartment's freezer before evading arrest for months now seeks a new spouse.
David Varela, 38, faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of 39-year-old Lina Guerra, the Norfolk Police Department announced in February. The defendant also faces a charge of concealing a dead body to prevent detection, according to a federal affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.
Now, federal authorities have announced his arrest, and the victim's family has provided other details into the harrowing case that has stretched thousands of miles across the globe.
On Feb. 5, the Norfolk Police Department arrived at the Icon Norfolk Apartments located on the 300 block of East Main Street in Norfolk, Virginia. They had been called by Guerra's brother, who had reported that he had not heard from his sister in weeks, the affidavit stated.
Authorities learned that her husband, Varela, was an active reservist with the U.S. Navy and was reportedly not responding to calls from his immediate supervisor, which was "unusual behavior for him."
Officers searched the apartment and found Guerra dead in the kitchen freezer, according to court documents. Her cellphone was in the residence, while Varela's Tesla was outside in the parking lot.
Authorities conducted an autopsy and ruled that Guerra's manner of death was homicide by way of blunt force trauma and asphyxiation. Detectives learned, with assistance from federal authorities, that Varela boarded a flight to Hong Kong "on or about Feb. 5, 2026," with WhatsApp location data "originating" there as well, according to the affidavit.
Investigators also learned that Varela had family in Colombia, though they did not see "any discernible ties" to Hong Kong or China.
Five days after finding Guerra's body, authorities charged Varela with murder. And on Wednesday, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that Varela was apprehended.
"Mr. Varela has been on the run for over two months attempting to avoid prosecution for these heinous crimes, but justice doesn't forget," Patel said.
Guerra also has family in Colombia, and they told Norfolk CBS affiliate WTKR that Varela displayed abusive behavior in the past, such as not allowing her to have a job, have friends, or leave their home alone. He also had allegedly been physically abusive.
"He had hit her previously, but she didn't tell us because she didn't want to worry us," said Guerra's sister-in-law, Paola Ramirez, through a translator. "He appeared to be very religious, very calm, normal, that's why this is so shocking; we never imagined he'd do something like this."
On Friday, the regional outlet said it received a message from a woman in Russia saying she suspected she and her friend had met Varela in Hong Kong.
"I was in Hong Kong with my friends," the woman — also speaking through a translator — told WTKR. "We met this man while waiting in line at an attraction. He introduced himself as David and said he was looking for a Russian wife."
When the woman continued talking with the man — alleged to be Varela, who even reportedly planned a trip for her to visit him again — her friend looked him up and found U.S. reports that he was wanted.
"What we saw shocked us and we decided to get in touch with you," the woman said, providing two phone numbers she said were his. When the outlet's investigative reporter used Telegram to call him via video, they said a man who seemed to be Varela picked up.
Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney Ramin Fatehi has previously expressed his desire to extradite Varela to Virginia to face his charges.
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