U.S. Navy reservist accused of killing wife arrested overseas after manhunt

A U.S. Navy reservist accused of killing his wife in Norfolk was arrested overseas after a monthslong manhunt that stretched from downtown Virginia to Hong Kong. Federal authorities said David Varela, 38, was taken into custody abroad and will be returned to the United States to face charges in a case that put local police, federal agents and foreign partners into coordination across borders.

Norfolk police identified the victim as Lina M. Guerra, 39, also reported as Lina Maria Guerra Echavarria. Officers said a missing person report was filed for Guerra on February 4, 2026, after she, who lived in the 300 block of East Main Street and was known to frequent downtown Norfolk, could not be located. Detectives found her unresponsive the next day at a home in the same block. Other reporting said her body was found inside a freezer in the home.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later ruled on February 10 that Guerra’s death was a homicide. Police charged Varela with first-degree murder and concealing a dead body to prevent detection. Norfolk police have not publicly released a motive or additional details about what led to the killing, leaving key questions about the circumstances surrounding Guerra’s death unanswered.

The case escalated into an international search after authorities said Varela fled the country. Reporting indicated he may have traveled to Hong Kong, and FBI Director Kash Patel announced on April 15, 2026, that Varela had been successfully apprehended overseas. Local reporting said he is expected to be extradited back to the United States.

The arrest closes one chapter of a case that began as a missing-person report and became a cross-border homicide investigation. It also underscores the strain placed on law enforcement when a suspect in a domestic killing leaves the country before an arrest can be made. For Guerra’s family and the Norfolk community, the central facts remain stark: a 39-year-old woman was reported missing, found dead the next day, and a suspect who was once part of the Navy Reserve is now back in custody on the other side of an international manhunt.