Jose Gonzalez Estrella

On behalf of Jose's family,

It is with great sadness we share that our beloved brother Jose Gonzalez has transitioned to the spirit world. His life was taken too early which explains why a few days ago he never returned to our parent's house. He is now with his best friend and our brother Ricardo and the ancestors. He was loved by so many in the San Diego/Tijuana region and beyond. He was a receptor of love, an igniter of good times and many might remember how much of a giver he once was. Yet in Jose’s last years, his inner light became dull as a result of personal life challenges and had much less to offer. Despite the circumstances, his openness to receiving genuine love was there and gave him hope to stay positive until his last days.

Many knew Jose from his early years when he started a punk band with our brother Ricardo (RIP), cousin Luis (Anahuac) and some neighborhood friends calling themselves Liberated Youth (AKA Samadhi). Jose sure lived up to that name, he was a liberated soul since he was born. His love for music and his sense of humor was contagious. His love for Mesoamerican history expanded our appreciation for Mexico and he taught us to be curious about other parts of the world. Jose sure was a music historian, unlike anyone in our family. He loved his Pearl Drum Set, U2, Traveling, Popotla, Live Music, Reading, Thai food, Collecting CD’s, Mano Negra/Manu Chao, Anthony Bourdain, Biking, Adidas Classic Samba shoes, Biking, Carne Asadas, etc. Life threw many wrenches at him, he overcame many, some weakened him but this last one took him away.

Days before he died, Jose had not returned home to my parent's house in Chula Vista since Thursday, January 26th. In the 72+ hours we as a family followed the protocols (police reports, calling hospitals, etc.) looking for him something from the very beginning seemed off. We reached out to his immediate circle of friends to ask about his whereabouts and learned that he had only reached a few friends before his cell phone got disconnected. (Thanks to all who helped). It all indicated Jose did not wander far and most likely he was near my parent's house. On Sunday, January 29th, we decided to do a more thorough search for Jose and with the help of a neighbor and a cousin we found him dead hidden near a trail in the Otay Valley Regional Park. A place he frequented very often to find solace in the city. He just happened to go there on the wrong day and time. If you are interested in reading the latest details of his case you can read the SDUT article here: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/story/2023-02-01/not-guilty-plea-from-man-accused-of-fatal-frenzied-stabbing-attack-on-apparent-stranger-in-otay

In honor of Jose’s spirit, his fondness of the Otay Valley Regional Park, the large community that loved him, our family (but especially our parents) that will continue to grieve and find ways to commemorate their son, we are launching this GoFundMe with the hope to fundraise for both 1) establish a permanent memorial near where his body was found and 2) identify other healing opportunities for our family. We have already reached out to the City of San Diego’s Park and Recreation Department to initiate the process and waiting to hear back for next steps. In addition, we have also started to look into other opportunities for our family to heal from the ongoing traumatic experience we are in. We know this process will take time and with the support and guidance of family and friends we will find ways to move forward. Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

Jose’s family

[Fundraiser organized by his brother Jorge]