The family of 44-year-old Manuel Alvarado is worried. On July 22, 2024, they received an alarming text message from their loved one indicating he had intention to take his life informing them his body could be found in the mountains above Covelo, California.
Desperate to intervene, his cousin called him repeatedly and got through after night had fallen making the last known contact with him. Alvarado picked up, sounded exhausted, and was able to send out a GPS pin of his location in the rugged hills of the Mendocino National Forest before his cellphone went dead.
Now, five days later and after multiple search and rescue deployments, Manuel Alvarado is still missing and his family awaits answers.
Jessica Espinoza, Alvarado’s cousin based in Dallas, Texas, has not seen her cousin since their childhood in Mexico but remembers his happiness.
On July 22, 2024, she was contacted by her aunt (Manuel’s mother) upset after receiving a foreboding text message via WhatsApp:
Mother, I want to tell you that a very great injustice has been committed against me, I want to tell you that I love you and one day we will see each other, I couldn't help you, I apologize for that, I love you, say goodbye to my brothers, tell them that I love them. Look for my body in the mountains in a town called Covelo, California.
Espinoza set to work reaching out to local authorities and desperately trying to call Alvarado. Initially, her calls were not going through and would go straight to voicemail as if the phone was off. Then, Espinoza told us, at 10:32 p.m. her call got through and Alvarado picked up the phone and said, “Cousin, help me. I’m here.”
Espinoza said she spoke with Alvarado for two minutes. He sounded fatigued and worried. His phone was running out of battery and he was able to send her a GPS pin of his location moments before his phone died. The last words she heard her cousin say were “Did you get it? Did you get it?” referring to the GPS location.
Alvarado’s last known location is east of Covelo within the boundaries of the Mendocino National Forest. The GPS pin is in a drainage south of Forest Highway 7 near the junction of Twin Rocks Creek and Jumpoff Creek.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Captain Quincy Cromer confirmed his agency was alerted to the disappearance of Manuel Alvarado on Monday, July 22, 2024, by an out-of-state family member who had received alarming messages from Alvarado. He explained, “The family member informed us that Alvarado mentioned leaving a property on Mendocino Pass Road where he was working and staying, and he indicated he needed to be rescued. The family member provided us with Alvarado’s location, including his GPS coordinates.”
Efforts to locate Alvarado commenced immediately. “Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office personnel and officers from the California Highway Patrol responded to the area that night and continued their search into the next morning,” said Captain Cromer. However, the search proved challenging. “Despite our efforts, we were unable to locate Alvarado. Exigency pings on his cell phone suggested it was either turned off, had lost power, or had traveled outside of the service area.”
The search operation intensified over the following days. “CHP helicopters were deployed on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, and Wednesday, July 24, 2024, along with representatives from the Sheriff’s Office and Search and Rescue,” Captain Cromer recounted. “Unfortunately, our searchers were unable to locate Alvarado or find any additional clues regarding his current whereabouts.”
Given the difficult terrain, the search strategy is under review. “The area where Alvarado was last known to be is extremely steep and mountainous,” explained Captain Cromer. “We are evaluating further search efforts in that region.” The Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate. “Our personnel have persisted in checking and searching the area and the property where Alvarado was working and staying, but so far, we have been unable to locate him.”
Espinoza said her cousin stands between 5’8” and 5’10” and weighs around 210 lbs describing him as muscular. His hair is black and his eyes are brown.
When we spoke with Espinoza, she became emotional imagining her cousin alone in the wilderness of the Mendocino National Forest and asked that if anyone has information please come forward.
Anyone with information regarding Alvarado’s whereabouts is requested to call the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center at 707-463-4086.
Sounds more like he was being hunted rather than intending to take his own life given the communications provided to us readers.
Yes. I agree. Especially him talking about the injustice that was done that made it so he could not help his mother, most likely financially, most likely from a load of cannabis, or work performed. He also might have seen something go down and tried to leave without telling the person/s who did the dirty deed he witnessed. That would make them think he’s going to the cops, and then they’d come hunting for him.
I have to agree with other posters. It sounds like he was accused of stealing maybe from a grow site or manicuring shed, or simply accused so they can fabricate a reason to be after him. I suspect there are many “payday” murders, killing the employee especially if an illegal grow to avoid witnesses and payment. They’re expendable to the cartels and other greedy psychos.
There have been hunters and hikers also killed over the years for stumbling over a site.
That’s some rough country up around Leech lake worked up there in 70’s surveying national forest boundaries. That’s an area that “bad bears” from Yosemite are relocated too also. Hope the man is found safe .
I pray they find him.
Prayers for him and his family.
???
This man needs a miracle God. Please help him. In Jesus name….amen
I’m agreeing in prayer right now with all who are praying for your loved one. Our God CAN do it!
Alvarado got himself into quite a pickle. He could well be indebted to some Mexican gang or cartel and fell afoul of his compadres. If that’s the case, good riddance to bad garbage. That forest is some rough country, but it is possible to survive. Remember the 70 year old deer hunter who wandered out there lost for days before rescue.
“If that’s the case, good riddance to bad garbage.”
What a cruel thing to say, especially in public when you know this man has a family who is worried about him and fearing the worst. Be a better person.
I do not have any sympathy for those who go missing at the hands of their fellows in the illicit drug game. I could also say: those who play stupid games win stupid prizes.
I am entertained by the fact that you quoted me, but you obviously failed to comprehend the first four words of that quote.
Hey Peckerhead maybe you’re just an asshole.
Todd you’re an ass.
What a statement, pure speculation on your part ! You sound like real prick or a Peckerhead ! And you have no sympathy, well you don’t know jack shit about this man just going by your own cock eyed compass.
Seethe harder, anonymous keyboard hero. Your misrepresentation of my comments exposes you for the deranged blowhard that you are. Go work on your reading comprehension, chump.
You’re an asshole, which was obvious since you came along with your “insignificant racism’ bullshit. You are a fucking joke!
A mental midget spews profanities. For an old guy you sure have a limited vocabulary. It is sad to see you struggle with language and the truth. That must be a lonely place you’re in. It is good to know that you are at least paying some attention, as I’ve apparently been living in your head rent-free for weeks now.
I will pray for your salvation!
FUCK YOU !! Your prayers are not worth a pile of shit!
Has there been any news about this man?
I’m not even lying I heard some people say that they owed 50k to him and my guess is they killed him so they wouldn’t have to pay I’m pretty sure he worked his ass off just to get killed tragic my prayers go out to his family.
You heard that from the people that owed him 50 grand or you heard that from someone else?
Please if anyone knows anything kindly step forward and tell, so his family can bring him home.
So apparently this guy was affiliated with an unlicensed Mexican cartel grow. He was high on meth and disappeared on his own accord. How many public resources wasted on the search for this dirtbag? I will reiterate—good riddance to bad garbage.
He’s so young and could very well turn his life around Mr Todd. I’m still praying for him against all odds cuz that’s the God I believe in.
Now what horrible things will you spew about me & faith & God?
You will give account for every word you speak. I say that in love. Words are powerful. And the same mercy you show is the mercy you will receive from God when you stand before Him at the end of your life.
I’m not judging you. But for the grace of God, there go I. And I’ve repented for my ungodly demonic tongue of the past. I speak differently now.
Praying for you.
Don’t waste your prayers on Manuel. He would have happily shared his drugs and sex with your granddaughter. He will only be missed by his gang-affiliated compadres. I only feel sorry for the buzzards that have to settle for his rotten meat.
Remember I warned you Todd. ?
Warned? Who are you?
I am not sad that Miguel is likely dead in the hills. Hopefully he was buried deep enough that wildlife won’t consume his toxic, meth-ridden remains. I am glad that he won’t be able to continue to produce and use black market drugs. May his children find a better example to follow, or perhaps they follow his footsteps into backwoods Coyote bush fertilizer.
I suggest you direct your prayers toward the victims of mr alvarado’s drug production and sales.
Still, I welcome your well-intentioned prayers, no matter how misguided you might be.
You’re fucking disgusting.
Where did you find this information that he worked for a cartel grow and was high on meth?
Mr Alvarado was way into the drugs: meth, and black market weed at least, he probably liked cocaine and fentanyl, too. I bet you’d invite him in to meet your daughter. Even his family won’t miss him, but I bet they will miss his money.
I am glad to see you abstain from profanity, if only for a brief moment. My prayers must be working! I will continue to pray for your salvation.
Hey Todd Suck a bag of Dicks!
Que Dios lo perdone en verdad por sus palabras usted lo conocía como para afirmar que el estaba drogado se escuchan tantas cosas pero solo Dios sabe lo que está pasando tiene familia que estamos preocupados por el por su persona no por su dinero como usted lo dice en un comentario, déjeme le cuento poquito el es un hijo que fue a trabajar para ayudar a su madre y familia aún siendo un licenciado en contabilidad,maestro de contabilidad y estudio mucho muy duro para salir a delante en México desgraciadamente tuvo que ir a trabajar haya no juegue porfavor si no puede decir algo que le sea verídico mejor no comenté nada
Que Dios lo perdone en verdad por sus palabras usted lo conocía como para afirmar que el estaba drogado se escuchan tantas cosas pero solo Dios sabe lo que está pasando tiene familia que estamos preocupados por el por su persona no por su dinero como usted lo dice en un comentario, déjeme le cuento poquito el es un hijo que fue a trabajar para ayudar a su madre y familia aún siendo un licenciado en contabilidad,maestro de contabilidad y estudio mucho muy duro para salir a delante en México desgraciadamente tuvo que ir a trabajar haya no juegue porfavor si no puede decir algo que le sea verídico mejor no comenté nada
May God truly forgive him for his words. You knew him enough to claim that he was on drugs. You hear so many things, but only God knows what is happening. He has a family. We are worried about him, not about his money, as you say in a comment, let me tell you a little bit, he is a son who went to work to help his mother and family even though he has a degree in accounting, an accounting teacher and he studied very hard to get ahead in Mexico unfortunately he had to go to work there Please don’t play if you can’t say something that’s true, it’s better not to comment anything. … translation
Sheriff office wrote a press releysaying he was high on meth when he disappeared from a farm he was working. Hes been out there missing for days and it would be hard to survive in that heat. He could only survive close to the river in the hot weather. Hope they can find him
Would you kindly stop with the damn question marks and say something or get lost. Bad enough there was another jerk doing this.
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