One arrested in connection with Covelo death

One man is dead and another has been arrested in connection with a shooting at a Covelo home with a marijuana garden, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

John Ross, 66, of Covelo is suspected of killing Alejandro Garcia, 33, of Ukiah, sheriff’s Lt. Greg Stefani said. Garcia was shot multiple times at a residence on Refuse Road, he said.

A motive for the shooting has yet to be determined, Stefani said.

Medical marijuana was growing at the location but it’s not known whether it was connected with the shooting, which occurred just before 7 p.m. Monday, Stefani said. It appeared the garden was being cultivated within county guidelines for medical pot, which allows up to 25 plants per parcel, he said.

The relationship, if any, between the two men was unclear Tuesday. Several people reported the shooting and identified Ross as the suspect, Stefani said. One followed Ross but stopped after Ross reportedly shot at him.

More details are expected to become available Wednesday, when deputies who investigated the shooting through the night return to work.

Ross was booked into Mendocino County Jail on a charge of murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. He was being held without bail, according to the jail.

You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 462-6473 or glenda.anderson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MendoReporter.