LA County deputy who died during Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay Race remembered for kindness

A Los Angeles County deputy who died during the Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay Race was remembered Tuesday as a respected, kind and loyal law enforcement officer.

Thirty-year-old Levi Vargas was an 11-year department veteran who died on March 28 after suffering a medical emergency during the law enforcement agency event. His funeral service Tuesday was attended by family, friends and colleagues at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills.

“He loved being a deputy in Los Angeles County,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said during the service Tuesday. “If asked, he would talk about how big our department was and all the opportunities that were available at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department because it was his second family.”

Vargas’ parents also were part of the law enforcement community. His father was a correctional officer, and his mother was a deputy at the department’s San Dimas station. One of his brothers is a member of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

“As a boy, he played with his brothers and cousins, running together with toy guns and swords, pretending to be soldiers,” Luna said. “There doesn’t seem to be a time in Levi’s life when he wasn’t interested in law enforcement. As a child, when any opportunity arose for him to wear a costume, guess what kind of costume he wore? He will usually be dressed as a deputy sheriff.”

Vargas joined the sheriff’s department at age 19, serving the usual custody assignments at various jail facilities before moving to the Norwalk and San Dimas stations.

“His calm, kindness and professionalism helped him make a positive impact on the community that he served,” Luna said.

Vargas’ wife, Amanda, said he came into her life just before her father died and helped her through that difficult time.

“Levi was my lifeboat. My light in a dark season of my life. And with him, I experienced a kind of love I didn’t know existed,” she said. “Levi was everything I prayed for. He was happy-go-lucky. He never made my life harder. He stepped in during one of the most challenging times of my life, and he made everything feel lighter.”

Held annually since 1985, the 120-mile, 20-stage Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay race is designed for law enforcement personnel, who run from Baker, California, through the desert to Las Vegas.

City News Service contributed to this report.