David Varela, who fled US following wife's murder in Norfolk, has been arrested and extradited to face charges

NORFOLK, Va. — David Varela — the man who set off an international manhunt after allegedly murdering his wife in Norfolk — has been apprehended after being recently spotted in Hong Kong, and will be extradited back to the United States.

The active Navy Reservist was wanted for first-degree murder and concealment of a body after police found the body of his wife, 39-year-old Lina Guerra, stuffed in the freezer inside the Icon apartment they shared in downtown Norfolk on February 5.

Watch previous coverage: The murder of Lina Guerra and her husband, on the run, charged with her killing

Guerra's family in Colombia, South America, who have spoken to News 3 investigative reporter Margaret Kavanagh several times since Lina's death, first confirmed the news Wednesday afternoon.

FBI Director Kash Patel later posted about Varela's arrest in a post on X.

"More big news today… @FBI is announcing the successful overseas apprehension of David Varela, a 38-year-old Navy Reservist who is wanted for first-degree murder in connection with the death of his wife, Lina Guerra. Lina’s body was found inside a freezer in their Norfolk apartment," Patel wrote.

The medical examiner found that Guerra died of blunt force trauma and asphyxiation.  

Guerra was reported missing by Norfolk Police at the end of January after her family did not hear from her for several days. Her body was discovered days later, but by then, Varela was gone. This prompted an international manhunt, which involved Interpol, in an attempt to bring him back to the U.S. to face justice.

The family says Varela was jealous, wouldn’t let Lina work, wouldn’t let her have friends, wouldn’t let her study and wouldn’t let her go out alone. Her sister-in-law, Paola Ramirez, spoke to Kavanagh on behalf of her devastated family.

“I want to emphasize that there had been violence before from David,” Ramirez told News 3 through a translator. “He had hit her previously, but she didn’t tell us because she didn’t want to worry us. 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.”

It was Guerra’s family who called police after they got suspicious when they couldn’t reach her in mid-January after Varela apparently told them she was sent to prison for shoplifting — even sending a picture of her in an orange jumpsuit.

On Friday, April 10, the WTKR Digital Team got a tip from a woman in Russia saying she believed she and a friend met Varela in Hong Kong.

Through translations, the woman said, “I was in Hong Kong with my friends. 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.”

Watch related coverage: Possible wanted fugitive answers call from WTKR after wife's body found in freezer

She said he suggested for her to come back to Hong Kong, she did and said she spent the day with him.

“He didn’t look dangerous or aggressive,” the woman, whom WTKR will not name for her safety, told Kavanagh.

She went home and they continued to talk, even planning a trip for her to return to Hong Kong to see him. And then her friend looked him up on Google and found WTKR's coverage of the case.

“What we saw shocked us and we decided to get in touch with you," she said, offering two phone numbers she said she had for Varela. "Maybe this will help find him.”

We were also able to confirm images sent to us by the Russian women were, indeed, Varela, by asking the family about his arm tattoos. The family confirmed, without seeing the photos, that he had "Veni, Vidi, Vici" tattooed on his left arm — a mark clearly seen in the photos provided by the women who said they met him.

Kavanagh, using the Telegram app, placed a video call to the number provided. A man who appeared to be Varela and answered to "David" picked up.

She identified herself as a reporter and said she was calling about Lina, asking, “Did you have any comment about the accusations regarding Lina?”

Watch: A full accounting of how this unfolded on our True Crime 757 podcast

The man covered the lens of the camera with his hand and hung up. Attempts to reach him again were unsuccessful.

Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney Ramin Fatehi had previously told Kavanagh they were working with numerous federal agencies to extradite Varela to face the charges; however, the U.S. and China do not currently have an extradition agreement.

But after Varela's reported sighting in Hong Kong, which appeared to have occurred in late March, two reporters from local media outlets reached out to WTKR seeking more information that might give clues to where he was staying.

The Hong Kong-based newspaper Ming Pao reported on Tuesday that local police would not comment on the case.

It's unclear as of late Wednesday where or how authorities were able to capture him.

But in speaking with Kavanagh via text in Spanish Wednesday afternoon Lina's sister-in-law Paolo Ramirez said the detective covering the case informed the family about his capture.

Ramirez also asked Kavanagh to please continue covering the case when he is back in Virginia to face the Norfolk charges.

"We need to see him handcuffed."

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