David Varela, 38, sits in a California jail cell awaiting extradition to Virginia to face first-degree murder charges in the death of his wife, Lina Guerra.
Varela is accused of killing Guerra and stuffing her body into a freezer at their ICON apartment in Downtown Norfolk. Her body was found on Feb. 5.
Online records show Varela is in the custody of the San Francisco Sheriff's Department as of Monday afternoon. Court records show he made a first appearance in a California courtroom last Thursday and requested a court-appointed attorney.
Watch previous coverage: Lina Guerra's body was found in the kitchen freezer — as her husband flew to Hong Kong
Officials are waiting for the U.S. Marshals to bring him back to Virginia.
The Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi spoke about the ongoing legal process to News 3 last week.
"This case will proceed with the same diligence, with the same care, the same empathy and the same determination that my prosecutors and I show for every homicide case and every homicide victim," Fatehi said.
Guerra's family shared video showing the inside of the apartment, taken weeks after police searched the home top to bottom for clues. The video shows the spot where the refrigerator once stood.
From Colombia, Guerra's sister-in-law Paola Ramirez expressed gratitude for the arrest.
Watch previous coverage: Lina Guerra's family struggles to get ashes after she was found dead in Norfolk apartment freezer
"Lina will now have justice, she won't return to us but this will take the weight off of us. We thank you," Paola Ramirez said.
Following the murder, court records show Varela fled to Hong Kong. Investigative Reporter Margaret Kavanagh tried to call him while he was wanted. He shockingly answered the phone, covered the lens with his hand, and hung up.
WTKR tracked Varela down after Russian women saw the WTKR investigation online. The women told News 3 they met Varela in Hong Kong while on a trip. They shared pictures and video of the hostel where he said he was staying.
The women said Varela was interested in dating one of them, wanted a Russian wife, was looking for work, and claimed he was from Florida and in the military. WTKR digital director and True Crime 757 host Jon Sham first made contact with the women.
Watch previous coverage: True Crime 757: We video called a suspected murderer on the run in Hong Kong. He picked up.
A few days after our story aired, authorities announced Varela was in U.S. custody. The heads of the FBI and Homeland Security tweeted about his capture.
