GoFundMe launched for family of deputy who died in Baker to Vegas relay

A GoFundMe campaign is helping the wife and family of Levi Vargas, a 30-year-old Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who died after a medical emergency during the Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay as the race crossed through Pahrump.

The fundraiser was created April 3 by Amanda Sanchez. It says Vargas was “a husband, son, brother, friend, and LA sheriff deputy,” and that Amanda, their pug Penny and the rest of the family are dealing with “an unimaginable loss.” Donations are being directed toward funeral expenses and living costs while Amanda Vargas grieves.

Vargas died on Saturday, March 28, after receiving medical care during the relay, and the exact cause of death has not been disclosed. The loss carried extra weight in Nye County because Baker to Vegas is one of the best-known annual events tied to the Highway 160 corridor through Pahrump, where runners and support crews pass through on their way to Las Vegas.

The challenge cup began in 1985, after Los Angeles police officers Chuck Foote and Larry Moore envisioned a law-enforcement relay from Baker, California, to Las Vegas. The race covers 120 miles, runs through Shoshone and across the state line into Nevada, and reaches Pahrump at the halfway point. The event is limited to 300 teams and brings 20-person law-enforcement teams, support personnel and volunteers into the valley each spring.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials said Vargas joined the department in 2015 as a custody assistant, later graduated from Academy Class 413 and was most recently assigned to San Dimas station. Sheriff Robert Luna said Vargas viewed the department as his “second family.” Vargas’ funeral was held April 14 at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, where hundreds of law-enforcement officers attended, and Los Angeles County lowered flags to half-staff in his honor.

The fundraising effort has become part of a wider show of support around a death that started in a race but ended in grief for a sheriff’s family. For Pahrump, where Baker to Vegas is usually a familiar springtime sight, Vargas’ death turned one of the valley’s signature events into a reminder of the risks and sacrifices tied to law-enforcement service.