SAN FRANCISCO — Authorities along the Northern California coast have identified the man killed earlier this month near an illegal cannabis grow site.
On Tuesday, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office shared details about the May 14 shooting near Covelo, approximately 180 miles north of San Francisco. One man was killed, and two others were injured in the incident.
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Deputies confirmed the deceased as 30-year-old Jorge M. Zavala Estrella of Vallecito in Amador County. A forensic pathologist determined that Zavala Estrella died from multiple gunshot wounds.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies were dispatched around 9 p.m. to a location north of Covelo following a 911 call that abruptly disconnected. The caller, a man, told dispatchers he needed help for a friend before the line dropped.
A dispatcher traced the call to the Mina Road area. While deputies headed to that location, another deputy responded to Adventist Health in Ukiah, where a man with suspected gunshot wounds had arrived at the ER.
During the search on Mina Road, deputies encountered a group who reported finding an unresponsive man about a mile away on Hulls Valley Road.
Deputies located the victim—later identified as Zavala Estrella—next to two vehicles. He was declared dead at 12:42 a.m. on May 15 from what appeared to be gunshot wounds.
They also discovered multiple firearms and spent shell casings near his body.
Following a nearby trail of blood for about a quarter mile, deputies found a large marijuana grow featuring hoop houses and several trailers.
At the hospital, the wounded man told deputies the two incidents were connected. Later that morning, a third victim was found on Hulls Valley Road—another adult male with gunshot wounds.
Both surviving victims were airlifted to hospitals outside Mendocino County for further treatment.
On May 20, investigators reported uncovering evidence of illegal cannabis cultivation tied to a drug trafficking organization. However, they withheld further details due to the ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office dispatch at 707-463-4086 (Option 1) or leave an anonymous tip at 707-234-2100.
