Distraught Dad Preparing for His Son’s Burial

Clutching a plastic bag holding his 8-year-old son’s burial clothes, Rafael Zavalza on Tuesday faced tasks both practical and devastating. Barely able to speak, he slumped into his gray car and pulled out of his Whittier driveway, en route to ask his boss for an early paycheck to pay for the funeral.

Adam Zavalza, the baby of the family, had been fatally shot Saturday in a freak hunting accident, and it was the father’s rifle that had errantly discharged.

Now, the 48-year-old truck driver had to find a way to cover the costs of burying his little boy. Then he would take to the mortuary the blue Adidas outfit Adam so loved: blue warm-up suit, T-shirt, socks--Adidas down to the tennies.

“He was my best friend in the whole world,” Zavalza said upon returning to his tidy home, tears welling up. “I can say no more.”

A rosary and viewing will be held tonight, and Thursday morning, the chubby boy they affectionately called Gordo will be laid to rest in a small white casket the family chose for Adam. It will be covered with flowers of his favorite color, blue.

The family has rallied around Zavalza, father of four, who they say is inconsolable and consumed with guilt over his son’s death Saturday afternoon in Cleveland National Forest on opening day of hunting season.

“He’s blaming himself, but it’s not his fault,” said his 21-year-old daughter, Marytza Zavalza. “It was an accident.”

The shooting occurred after a day of hunting with other relatives. Adam was walking behind his father, clutching his pant leg, as they negotiated their way down a hill. The father grabbed onto a branch to negotiate a small stream when the branch snapped, causing him to fall backward. His daughter said his hunting rifle hit a rock, fired and hit the third-grader.

“My dad was in shock,” Marytza Zavalza said. “My uncle had to drive four miles to a pay phone while my dad was trying to revive him. He was saying, ‘Adam! Adam!’ ”

Relatives said the gun’s safety latch was on at the time, but that has not yet been confirmed by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which is investigating the incident.

“I would assume if the gun went off, [the safety] was off,” Sheriff’s Lt. Tom Garner said. “I don’t know that for a fact; the gun will have to be tested.”

Although the case is still under investigation, authorities believe the death was an accident.

The California Department of Fish and Game, which keeps records of all hunting accidents, will begin reviewing the case once the investigation is completed by the Sheriff’s Department.

John Fallan, a game warden whose jurisdiction includes Orange County, said such tragic shootings are quite rare. He said safety latches are crucial and, as a public safety tip, noted that hunters should also unload their weapons completely and make sure there are no bullets left in the chamber once hunting is over for the day.

“Especially if you are walking in rough terrain,” Fallan said.

Fallan said hunters are best off keeping the gun unloaded until they are in a safe and legal place to shoot. Once the gun is loaded, the safety device should remain on until the hunter is ready to fire, he said.

“What is the worst thing that can happen when you are hunting with your safety in the ‘on’ position?” Fallan asked. “The deer will hear it and will run to safety or you’ll be too slow to fire and you’ll miss the game. That’s the worst possible thing that can happen. With the safety off, obviously the worst possible thing would be to accidentally shoot someone.”

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Adam and his father were in a hunting party of four looking for deer in an area two miles west of El Cariso near the Riverside County line. The area is popular among locals who cannot afford expensive out-of-town hunting trips.

“People who go there are hunting in an area that isn’t very good as far as hunting goes,” Fallan said. “But they are willing to work real hard to get their game. There’s a lot of local people who can’t afford to go to Colorado or Northern California. Most people [hunt] safely and don’t have any problems.”

Family members said Adam was so excited about the first day of hunting season that he had been talking about it for months. His first hunting trip last year had been cut short when it began to snow in Angeles National Forest, but the youngster was consoled by the fact that it was the first time he had ever seen snow.

Adam was armed with a BB gun for last weekend’s outing but “he wasn’t hitting anything. He was just play hunting,” his sister said.

His classmates at Lydia Jackson Elementary School in Whittier were told of Adam’s death Monday, and school officials made psychologists available for students, Principal Robert Mazzeo said.

“They’re a little puzzled and don’t understand the full implication of what we told them,” Mazzeo said Tuesday. “I didn’t share any specifics, not even that it was a hunting accident. They were pretty much blinking hard. . . . There were a lot of sad faces.”

Adam loved to eat Chee-tos (flaming-hot flavor), hot dogs from 7-Eleven and McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. He never missed an episode of “The Simpsons,” featuring his favorite character, Bart Simpson, and also loved to play soccer, ride his bike and skateboard, his family said.

“He was spoiled by my mom and dad, spoiled by the whole family,” said his 16-year-old sister, Gladys Zavalza. “He had everything he wanted.”

Adam’s mother, Estella Zavalza, has remained in seclusion since her son’s death, unable to eat or sleep. She worked nights at a water bottling company but picked up her son from school each day and bought him an ice cream cone before leaving for work. At that point, her husband would return from his 4 a.m.-to-4 p.m. shift at a waste disposal company and spend time with his youngest son.

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“The paramedics told my dad, ‘I’m so sorry for your loss, but your son did not suffer. . . . He died instantly,’ ” Marytza Zavalza said.

But that has provided little solace to the father, who insisted that the boy be buried in his favorite Adidas clothes.

Viewing is from 5 to 9 p.m. with a 7 p.m. rosary tonight at Guerra Gutierrez Mortuary, 6338 Greenleaf Ave., Whittier. His funeral Mass will be at 11:15 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary’s of the Assumption Church, 7215 Newlin Ave., Whittier. Burial will be at Resurrection Cemetery, 966 North Potrero Grande Drive in Montebello.

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Hunting Safety in the Field

Depending on the location of other hunters, there are several ways to carry a gun safely. How to handle a hunting rifle when walking in a single-file line.

LEADER, Trail Carry: Safe for leader but not for others in line.

MIDDLEMAN Cradle carry: Not safe when walking beside anyone.

LAST IN LINE Sling carry: Point muzzle in air. Leaves hands free but makes crossing obstacles difficult.

Basic Firearm Safety Rules

* Point muzzle away from yourself, others

* Keep safety in “on” position until ready to shoot

* Never rest finger on trigger

* Unload firearms when not in use

* Never step over an obstacle with a loaded firearm

* Always treat a firearm as if it’s loaded

Sources: National Rifle Assn.; California Department of Fish and Game

Graphics reporting by BRADY MacDONALD / Los Angeles Times