Weitchpec is reeling after the sudden death of Celinda Gonzales, a beloved suicide prevention advocate whose kindness and resilience helped so many in this tight‑knit community. Gonzales, known across Humboldt County for pushing hard against stigma and for being a guiding light to people in crisis, was one of two people found dead inside a home on Lewis Road late Tuesday night. Deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office say the scene appears to be a murder‑suicide, and the investigation is ongoing.
Family confirmed that Gonzales was found at around 8:47 p.m. on February 3 after a call to the Sheriff’s Office about a possible violent incident. When deputies arrived at a home in the 900 block of Lewis Road, they discovered two deceased people inside. Early reports from law enforcement suggest the deaths are connected and consistent with a murder‑suicide, but they have not yet released further details on the second person’s identity or motives.
Gonzales was widely respected for her work across rural and tribal parts of Northwestern California. People remember her not for headlines but for warm check‑ins, honest conversations, and her fierce commitment to preventing suicide. She used her own grief — after losing both her teenage son and her brother to suicide — as fuel to reach out and lift others from despair.
Long before this tragedy, Gonzales spoke bravely about the pressures facing communities like Weitchpec: wildfires that push families from their homes, salmon runs that falter and threaten local food and culture, and the haunting isolation where mental health care can be nearly impossible to reach. She made it clear talking about suicide isn’t easy, but it’s necessary.
Her work wasn’t limited to offices or clinics. When formal funding for her role ended, Gonzales didn’t walk away. She stayed in touch with people through personal calls and social media, stepping up again and again to help someone on the edge feel seen and supported. Folks in the community called her friend, mentor, or simply someone they could turn to when hope felt out of reach.
In response to this tragic loss, the Yurok Tribal Police and community groups are already trying to organize grief counseling and support services for those affected. Leaders have said more information will be shared as resources become available. Gonzales’s passing has left a deep void, but it’s also brought attention to the urgent need for mental health care and connection in communities that too often suffer in silence.
People with any information about the case are urged to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip Line. As the investigation continues, friends and neighbors are holding space for one another — remembering Gonzales’s quiet strength, her soft voice of encouragement, and the countless lives she touched in one of the most rugged parts of the state.
