Ciara Estrada, a 25-year-old Police Officer from San Diego, Died Under Mysterious Circumstances; Family Awaits Justice.
Ciara Estrada, a dedicated 25-year-old San Diego Police Officer, passed away on January 1, 2018, with a single gunshot wound. The circumstances around her death remain mysterious to this day. Her family, still awaiting justice, has established a GoFundMe fundraiser to hire investigators and lawyers to uncover the truth behind her mysterious death.
Who was Ciara Estrada?
Ciara Ann Estrada was a 25-year-old police officer from San Diego. She was born on February 13, 1992, in Long Island, New York. She grew up in Murrieta, California, with her parents, Larry and Julie, and siblings Mathew, Brandie, and Cheyenne. Ciara graduated from Vista Murrieta High School in 2010 and was the Executive Officer of the Air Force Jr. ROTC program. She graduated Cum Laude in Criminal Justice from San Diego State University. She was also an athlete and rowed with the varsity crew. She was named a National Collegiate Scholar athlete and Conference USA Honor Roll. Ciara joined the San Diego Police Department after graduating from the Police Academy in August 2015. She was assigned to the Northern Division, where she dedicated herself to the community’s safety.
Ciara loved animals and was a devoted dog mom to Trevor. She loved everyone and was known for her kindness, compassion, and dedication to protecting innocent lives.
What happened to Ciara Ann Estrada?
Ciara Estrada passed away on January 1, 2018, under mysterious circumstances. Her family last saw her on New Year’s Eve (12-31-17) as she got ready for a New Year’s Eve party at a local hotel with her boyfriend, another sworn Police Officer for San Diego P.D. According to the GoFundMe page established by her family in search of justice, Ciara encountered a verbal altercation between 10 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. in front of several SDPD co-workers also attending the party. After this, Ciara left the party alone in an Uber before midnight.
On January 1, 2018, Ciara did not show up for her work. Her concerned family knew something was wrong as she never missed work without notification. Ciara was found dead inside the bathroom of her small apartment with a point-blank, single gunshot wound between her eyes. She lived alone, but her boyfriend had a key to her apartment.
The SDPD immediately ruled the cause of death as a self-inflicted gunshot. The family’s suspicion of foul play grew stronger as she was not suffering from depression and was happy and well. According to the family, she was not suicidal. They also pointed out discrepancies between the crime scene and the investigation report. They criticized the Police as their findings contradicted their training, which says all “assumed or reported suicides” must first be investigated as homicides. “San Diego PD immediately informed us that they were sorry, ‘She killed herself,’ and it was definitely a suicide. No coroner or medical examiner was even on scene yet,” the family said. They also protested that the crime scene was contaminated and jeopardized, and the DNA samples were not collected from the scene, which might have helped bring her killer to justice.
It’s been five years since Officer Estrada’s tragic death. Her heartbroken family still awaits justice. They have set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to hire professional investigators and lawyers to bring the culprit to justice. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends.
