Navy Reservist David Varela Charged After Lina Guerra Found In Freezer

David Varela, identified in multiple reports as a 38-year-old U.S. Navy reservist, was charged with first-degree murder and concealing a dead body after Norfolk police say they found his wife, 39-year-old Lina Guerra, inside a kitchen freezer in the couple’s 19th-floor unit at the ICON building in downtown Norfolk following a Feb. 5 search-warrant execution.

Investigators moved quickly to label the case an international manhunt after FBI documents and an affidavit cited by WAVY indicated Varela boarded a flight to Hong Kong on or about Feb. 5. Emergency disclosure requests to WhatsApp produced location pings tying his device to Hong Kong, and federal agencies including the FBI, Homeland Security, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are assisting the Norfolk Police Department in the search.

An autopsy performed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Feb. 10 ruled Guerra’s death a homicide. Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi has filed charges and said he has sought Interpol assistance. “Going on 19 plus years as a state and federal prosecutor, this is only the second case where I've had to involve Interpol,” Fatehi told reporters, and he described Interpol as “an international clearinghouse for over 190 countries' police organizations.”

Reporting contains a number of conflicting personal details about Varela and the couple. Most local coverage and the initial filing list Varela as 38 and describe him as an electrician’s mate second class assigned to a cargo handling unit in Williamsburg, while one national outlet lists him as 28 and reports a longer marriage. WTKR and the original reporting say Guerra’s family reported her missing on Feb. 2 after losing contact in mid-January; the New York Post reported the family had not heard from her since Jan. 16 and cited a brother filing the missing-person report.

Family members have provided additional allegations and conflicting accounts. WAVY reported a relative said the two-year marriage had been violent and that Guerra had sustained bruises; WTKR spoke with sister-in-law Paola Ramirez using an interpreter, and Ramirez said Varela told family Guerra had been sentenced to five years for shoplifting, a claim WTKR investigated and found no public record of.

Prosecutors say the paperwork and international logistics will be complex. “The hard parts are getting the paperwork in place and then finding the person,” Fatehi said, adding that Interpol checks passport numbers, national identification numbers, and dates of birth and that facial recognition is not part of the Red Notice process. A social-media repost from a local station also noted that a suspended extradition treaty with Hong Kong could complicate efforts to return a suspect. Authorities continue the international search and have asked Interpol for assistance while the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office pursues criminal proceedings.