Navy reservist accused in wife's murder arrested after international manhunt

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A United States Navy reservist accused of sidesplitting his woman has been arrested pursuing a weekslong planetary manhunt, FBI Director Kash Patel announced late Wednesday.

David Varela, 38, is wanted for first-degree execution successful transportation with the decease of his wife, Lina Guerra, earlier this year. He was apprehended overseas Wednesday for extradition backmost to the U.S., Patel said.

Authorities discovered Guerra's assemblage wrong the room freezer astatine the location she shared with Varela successful Norfolk, Virginia, connected Feb. 5, according to the Norfolk Police Department. Police said Guerra had been reported missing the erstwhile day. She was 39.

"I privation to admit [Homeland Security Investigations], our partners, and the interagency effort for the speedy apprehension and instrumentality to the United States," Patel said aft the arrest. "Mr. Varela has been connected the tally for astir 2 months attempting to debar prosecution for these heinous crimes, but justness doesn't forget."

Police detectives charged Varela with his wife's execution aft an autopsy ruled her decease a homicide. The aesculapian examiner recovered that Guerra died from blunt unit trauma and asphyxiation, CBS affiliate WTKR reported.

But Varela, connected progressive work arsenic a Navy reservist, had fled the state by the clip charges were filed. Authorities said helium flew to Hong Kong connected Feb. 4 — the aforesaid time a missing idiosyncratic study was filed for Guerra — according to WTKR, which cited an FBI affidavit.

Varela was apprehended aft precocious being seen successful Hong Kong, WTKR reported. The presumption said it received a extremity from a Russian pistillate who believed that she and a person ran into him determination successful March, and subsequently worked with section reporters successful the metropolis to stitchery clues arsenic to wherever helium mightiness beryllium staying.

Officials person not shared details astir wherever oregon however Varela was yet recovered and taken into custody.

While the hunt for Varela was underway, Guerra's household told WTKR that Varela was jealous of his woman and would not let her to work, study, person friendships oregon spell retired alone. Her sister-in-law, Paola Ramirez, said Varela had been convulsive successful the past, but his alleged transgression was inactive unthinkable, the presumption reported.

"He had deed her previously, but she didn't archer america due to the fact that she didn't privation to interest us," Ramirez said done a translator. "He appeared to beryllium precise religious, precise calm, normal. That's wherefore this is truthful shocking. We ne'er imagined he'd bash thing similar this."

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