SOUTH EL MONTE, Calif. — Governor Gavin Newsom announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the 2024 murder of Estevan Mejia, a nurse who was fatally shot in the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, the Governor's Office announced.
Click here to view the official Governor's Office announcement of the rewards for unsolved murders.
The reward was announced on October 23, 2026.
It is one of six $50,000 rewards, totaling $300,000, announced the same day for unsolved murders in San Mateo, Sacramento, Fresno, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ventura counties, according to the announcement.
Estevan Mejia was 34 years old.
He worked as a nurse for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, according to the Governor's Office.
A 2024
Shooting, a Missing Car, and a Dried Riverbed
In 2024, Mejia was fatally shot in the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in South El Monte, according to the announcement.
According to the Sheriff, Mejia was last seen driving his car.
After tips from the public, his car was recovered the next day in a dried riverbed approximately three miles from the location where Mejia was found, according to the announcement.
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The car had a flat tire and was stripped of its radio and other valuables, according to the Governor's Office.
No suspect has been identified in the announcement, and no arrest has been announced in the case.
Six Rewards, One Announcement, and Seven Victims
The other rewards announced on October 23, 2026, cover the murders of Michelle Matteucci in Daly City, Gurmej Atwal and Surinder Singh in Elk Grove, John Graves in Fresno, Darnell Smith in San Diego, and Eduardo Lira in Santa Paula, according to the announcement.
"Every family deserves answers when a loved one is taken by violence," Governor Gavin Newsom said. "For the families of Michelle Matteucci, Gurmej Atwal, Surinder Singh, John Graves, Darnell Smith, Eduardo Lira, and Estevan Mejia, may they soon have the justice they deserve. If you know something about their cases, please reach out to local law enforcement."
A Reward Program, Exhausted Leads, and a Tip Line
Under California law, including Penal Code § 1547, law enforcement agencies may ask the Governor to issue rewards in specified unsolved cases where investigators have exhausted all investigative leads, according to the Governor's Office.
The Governor's Office stated that public assistance is vital to law enforcement and that rewards may encourage the cooperation needed to apprehend those who committed serious offenses.
Anyone with information about Mejia's killing is asked to contact Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Detective Amber Montenegro at 323-890-5500, according to the announcement.
Sources
Office of the Governor of California, Official Announcement, Governor Newsom Announces $300,000 in Rewards for Unsolved Murders, October 23, 2026; City News Service via MyNewsLA, Newsom Offers $50,000 Reward in South El Monte Murder, October 23, 2026.
Transparency notes
Published: Oct 23, 2026. No major post-publication update has been logged.
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Sources
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