Covelo woman fatally shot at illegal marijuana grow; multiple suspects believed involved

MENDOCINO CO., CA., 7/11/26 — A 31-year-old Covelo woman was fatally shot at a large illegal marijuana cultivation site outside Covelo, and investigators believe multiple people were involved in her killing, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said. 

Deputies were called about 8:58 p.m. Thursday to a property at 22550 Rifle Range Road, northwest of Covelo, after a woman called 911 to report finding a family member dead inside a vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies were already in Covelo and responded with lights and sirens, arriving within about 15 minutes, and confirmed the woman dead at 9:17 p.m. 

The victim, whose name was withheld, was found inside a silver 2007 Toyota Tacoma pickup that had numerous apparent gunshots, and she appeared to have suffered multiple gunshot wounds, the Sheriff’s Office said. The truck was at the grow, which investigators also examined. 

Family members had searched for the woman for hours Thursday before learning she might be at the Rifle Range Road property, the Sheriff’s Office said. A relative went there, found her and called authorities. 

Detectives are leading the homicide investigation with help from the Mendocino County Major Crimes Task Force, the District Attorney’s Office and the county’s Marijuana Eradication Team. Criminalists from the state Department of Justice in Eureka responded to process the scene. The Sheriff’s Office said multiple suspects are believed to be involved but withheld information about them “to maintain the integrity of the ongoing investigation.” 

The day after the killing, deputies arrested Jesus Hernandez Sosa at the Rifle Range Road property on marijuana charges, according to the Sheriff’s Office media log and county jail records. He was booked Friday on felony counts of cultivating marijuana and illegally diverting water and of maintaining a place to sell drugs, plus a misdemeanor count of possessing marijuana for sale, with bail set at $25,000. Sosa has not been charged in the woman’s death, and the Sheriff’s Office said it is withholding information about homicide suspects. 

An autopsy is scheduled next week, the Sheriff’s Office said. Anyone with information may call the Sheriff’s Office dispatch center at 707-463-4086, option 1, or leave an anonymous tip at 707-234-2100.