Man threatened to ‘execute’ farm workers in Half Moon Bay: DA

(KRON) — More than one year after a shooting left seven people dead on two farms in Half Moon Bay, California farm workers were terrorized once again with threats of violence, investigators said.

The most recent workplace violence incident happened in July at California Terra Gardens, located at 12761 San Mateo Road. According to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, Edin Moises Guerra-Ortiz was fired from the farm, also known as Mountain Mushroom Farm.

A few days after his firing, Guerra-Ortiz approached four farm workers while they were on their lunch break on July 24.

Guerra-Ortiz, 24, was allegedly angry with the workers because “they had laughed at him over his wife’s affair with another employee,” SMCDAO wrote.

The fired worker allegedly threatened to kill the four victims. Guerra-Ortiz “shouted to the victims to kneel down so he could execute them all. Victims were terrified,” prosecutors wrote. It was the same workplace where the shooting occurred in January 2023.

Guerra-Ortiz’s 4-year-old son was with him while he was making death threats, prosecutors said, and he eventually left the area after vandalizing two of the victims’ vehicles. San Mateo County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Guerra-Ortiz on July 30 at his mother’s house. He allegedly told investigators that he was trying to “scare” the victims for laughing about his wife.

Guerra-Ortiz appeared in court on Monday to face charges, including child cruelty, criminal threats, and vandalism

Inside the same courthouse, Chunli Zhao also appeared before a judge facing seven counts of first-degree murder.

Zhao, 67, is accused of committing the worst shooting in San Mateo County history. He is charged with murdering seven farm workers on January 23, 2023 at California Terra Gardens and Concord Farms in Half Moon Bay. Prosecutors said Zhao was “angry at several co-workers over perceived mistreatment” on the farms.

Zhao told investigators that he was bullied while working on the farm and he slept with a loaded handgun under his pillow, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed for the sole survivor .

The suit states, “On the day of the shooting, one of those bullies accused Zhao of being responsible for damage to a forklift after a minor collision between the forklift and a bulldozer. The bully told Zhao that Zhao would have to pay $100 for repairs. Zhao turned violent. First, Zhao killed the bully in front of a supervisor. Then he killed the supervisor. Zhao then proceeded to the worker encampment at the farm to seek vengeance upon other people against whom he held longstanding personal grudges.”

Zhao was arrested following an hours-long manhunt around Half Moon Bay.

Farm worker Yetao Bing was one of the seven mass shooting victims. In the summer of 2022, Bing survived another shooting at California Terra Gardens allegedly carried out by Martin Medina.

Prosecutors said 50-year-old Medina was a manager for the farm and lived at California Terra Gardens. On July 1, 2022, Medina threatened to kill his co-worker and his co-worker’s family, according to the DA’s office. “The victim was in his home with his family when he heard (Medina) banging on his front door screaming,” prosecutors wrote. The victim told his family to hide.

Medina allegedly fired one shot through the door, and the bullet pierced through Bing’s home, investigators said. Last month, a jury found Medina guilty of attempted murder. He is slated to be sentenced to prison on August 29.

Zhao pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. Guerra-Ortiz’s preliminary hearing was scheduled to begin Monday.

Zhao and Medina are being held in custody at Maple Street Correctional Center, inmate records show. Guerra-Ortiz is in custody at Maguire Correctional Facility.

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