‘Justice’ for another victim: Felipe Vazquez takes plea deal in 2020 homicide

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The man convicted of killing a Lincoln Police Investigator Mario Herrera was back in a Lancaster County court on Monday.

Felipe Vazquez, 20, pleaded no contest to a second-degree assault charge related to the stabbing death of 36-year-old Edward Varejcka.

“This is actually the case that Officer Herrera was serving the warrant on when he was shot, so this case was filed back in August of 2020,” Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon said.

SEE ALSO: Accomplice sentenced in slaying of Lincoln Police Investigator Mario Herrera

Lincoln Police responded to a stabbing at a home near Orchard and 22nd streets on March 8, 2020.

Officers found Varejcka suffering from multiple stab wounds. He later died at the scene.

Witnesses told police that multiple men fought Varejcka over a phone.

Then, one of them stabbed him in the chest with a kitchen knife before all three ran from the home, according to an arrest affidavit.

During an autopsy, a pathologist found an injury to Varejcka’s head.

Prosecutors think a television was thrown at his head during the altercation, contributing to his death.

Court documents say fingerprints found on the TV matched those of Felipe Vazquez.

Prosecutors originally charged Vazquez with second-degree assault and two counts of use of a weapon to commit a felony.

He was later charged with first-degree murder in 2022 after further investigation.

But prosecutors dropped that charge in exchange for him pleading no contest to the original counts.

“Even though it’s not highly publicized, it involved the death of an individual,” Condon said. “As important as Investigator Herrera’s case was to the Herrera family, this case is just as important to the Varejcka family and to this office. That’s why we proceeded on with this case.”

Vazquez shot Herrera on Aug. 26, 2020. Herrera died on Sept. 7.

Vazquez was then charged with first-degree murder and six other counts in the killing.

He was convicted on March 21, 2022, on all seven charges and sentenced to at least 71 years in prison.

“One of the things as a prosecutor that you’re always looking to do is to ensure that the victims feel that they have closure in this matter, that they have been heard, that their family member has had justice done for that individual,” Condon said.