MCSO Releases Information on the Urgent Search Underway Near Covelo for Missing Man, Manuel Alvarado
Press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department:
On 07-22-2024 at approximately 8:43 PM, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office was contacted regarding a missing person in the Covelo area. The missing person was identified as 44 year-old Manuel Alvarado.
Sheriff’s Office deputies contacted the reporting party who advised they were contacted by Alvarado’s mother. Alvarado’s mother had received a text message from her son saying goodbye, that he loved her, and she could find his body in the mountains near Covelo, California.
The reporting party was able to contact Alvarado by telephone and obtained the GPS coordinates for his current location, which showed he was approximately 19 miles east of the Covelo Valley south of Mendocino Pass Road. This area is known as Jumpoff Creek. Alvarado advised the reporting person that his phone was going to die and to send help to his location.
The reporting party did not know where Alvarado was living or why he was in Covelo.
Deputies, with assistance of Officers from the California Highway Patrol responded to the area of the GPS coordinates in an attempt to locate Alvarado.
Deputies and Officers utilized their PA system, sirens and emergency lights while in the area attempting to get the attention of Alvarado. Due to the darkness and extremely steep, harsh terrain, Alvarado was not located. Deputies attempted to conduct an emergency ping of Alvarado’s cell phone which suggested the cell phone was either turned off, out of battery, or outside of it’s service area.
A helicopter was requested from California Highway Patrol Northern Division Air Operations in Redding, CA who responded during the morning of 7-23-24 to assist with search efforts. The CHP helicopter flew the area for several hours and was unable to locate Alvarado.
On the morning of 7-24-24, deputies, along with members of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team, and the CHP Helicopter responded back to the location.
Deputies were able to locate a property in the area which was being used to grow marijuana.
Deputies contacted subjects on the property who confirmed Alvarado worked and lived at the location. The workers at the property stated they had been searching for Alvarado as well but had been unable to locate him. Several subjects advised they had responded to the location to search for Alvarado at the request of his family.
The subjects advised Deputies that Alvarado had been using controlled substances believed to be methamphetamine prior to his disappearance. These witnesses said Alvarado had become increasingly paranoid that someone was out to get him. The subjects advised Alvarado walked to the river, which was common practice, and had not returned.
Deputies were given permission to search the property where Alvarado had been working/living and did not locate any signs of foul play.
Search and Rescue members continued the search of the area both by foot and by helicopter and were unable to locate Alvarado.
Alvarado is still missing and considered at risk. Alvarado is described as a Hispanic male adult 5’8″-5’10”, weighing approximately 210 pounds, black hair brown eyes and muscular build. Alvarado has tattoos on both arms. The attached missing persons fliers were provided by family members.
Further search and rescue efforts will continue and we are currently establishing search plans for these efforts.
Anyone with information regarding Alvarado’s whereabouts is requested to call the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center at 707-463-4086.
Earlier: Manuel Alvarado’s Disappearance in Mendocino National Forest Spurs Intensive Search
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The pieces of the puzzle are falling into place and it’s not looking good.
It really wasn’t much of a mystery why he was in the hills east of Covelo but now it’s confirmed he was working on a weed farm, almost certainly illegal.
And he was into hard drugs, most likely meth. And became convinced people were out to get him. Which apparently led him to wander off into the forest in an effort to get away.
Hope he’s managed to survive and is found but his best chance was to stay at the GPS location.
Maybe he doesn’t want to be found. Kinda seems like a waste
He may have been paranoid, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t after him!
Thank you. Absolutely. Also there’s many people who live in the area saying that the law has not been searching at all for him but only doing raids and such on pot grows . I would not be doubtful if the story is fabricated about the drug thing. If it was true , it would also not shock me to know that he , like a lot of others had been being forced to do meth to be able to work faster and longer . Maybe they had a connection to the property on shady Lane .
There’s people saying that they had visual on the coroners being on scene at shady Lane after the incident. And another group saying that the coroners were not present. The group saying that they were seemed pretty confident that they were definitely there.
If this is true, someone obviously died or there Was something located that would need help of the coroners office. If this is factual why is there no news on this supposed coroners visit?
You’ve got lots of people “saying” this or that but what’s typical for a dope crime scene is: “those who say don’t know – those who know don’t say.”
But I bet the Coroner was on Shady Lane because I’m pretty sure the job title is “Deputy Sheriff-Coroner” – which means every Deputy is also a Deputy Coroner.
That’s true.
Canta no llores! Just another methhead cartel lowlife, his friends did everyone a favor running him off.
The covelo area is to awesome and unique to be belabored by so many human problems..
But it is..
That’s todays reality I guess
Hope he found peace amongst native flora and fauna
Hope that you find your peace Manuel.
Meth the toxic downfall for far too many. The Covelo canna culture is a mystique so many scrambling in it and lose their lives. Even at a few hundred dollars a pound people will continue to try to pull one over on government, taxes and work in the black market. It’s a very sad situation.
I sure hope that fella is just on a good one out in the woods… I love that area and this is about the only time of year you’d be ok at night without a sleeping bag or heavy coat. Treacherous terrain though.