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Funeral Honors Deputy Levi Vargas, 30, Who Died During Baker to Vegas Relay

The service capped weeks of public honors, with autopsy results still pending.

Overview

  • Hundreds of mourners gathered Tuesday at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills for the funeral of Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Levi Vargas.
  • Vargas, 30, suffered a medical emergency during the 120-mile Baker to Vegas relay for law enforcement in the Mojave Desert in March and later died at a hospital.
  • Sheriff Robert Luna called him calm, kind and professional, noting he joined the department at 19 and later served at the Norwalk and San Dimas stations.
  • His wife, Amanda, said they had begun planning a family and described him as a steady presence who helped her through a hard period.
  • The race has run annually since 1985 with more than 270 teams, and local coverage said this was the first competitor death on record.