Half Moon Bay taking pictures suspect charged with 7 counts of homicide allegedly felt ‘disrespected’

Northern California prosecutors filed seven homicide costs Wednesday in opposition to the person accused of gunning down farm employees within the quaint oceanside city of Half Moon Bay.

Prosecutors additionally filed an tried homicide cost in opposition to the suspect who allegedly mentioned he believed he had been “disrespected” by the victims of Monday’s taking pictures.

The San Mateo County Coroner’s Workplace has named six of the seven victims: Zhishen Liu, 73, of San Francisco; Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50, of Moss Seaside; Aixiang Zhang, 74, of San Francisco; Qizhong Cheng, 66, of Half Moon Bay; Jingzhi Lu, 64, of Half Moon Bay; and Yetao Bing, 43, whose hometown was listed as unknown.

The costs filed by DA Steve Wagstaffe in opposition to suspect Chunli Zhao, 66, did embrace the title of the seventh sufferer, Jose Romero Perez, and one cost of tried homicide in connection to the taking pictures of Pedro Romero Perez.

“Now we have not had in San Mateo County earlier than, a case with one occasion of seven murders without delay,” Wagstaffe mentioned at a information convention.

Zhao made his preliminary courtroom look on Wednesday afternoon in Redwood Metropolis.

He was shackled and in a pink jail jumpsuit, and walked into courtroom holding a yellow piece of paper that he at instances used to hide his face from cameras.

Chunli Zhao being arrested Monday within the car parking zone of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Workplace as a suspect within the mass taking pictures in Half Moon Bay earlier within the day.Kati McHugh

Zhao, speaking via a Mandarin interpreter, confirmed his title and San Mateo County Superior Court docket Choose Susan Jakubowski appointed legal professional Jonathan D. McDougall to symbolize him.

Choose Jakubowski ordered Zhao held with out bail and set his arraignment for Feb. 16.

Investigators have labeled the slayings as acts of “office violence,” with Zhao having labored with a number of the victims.

Zhao labored at Mountain Mushroom Farm, one in every of two agricultural companies the place employees had been killed on Monday afternoon, authorities mentioned.

NBC Bay Space cited police sources with direct information of the investigation to report that Zhao had advised investigators that he had been “disrespected” by co-workers within the years main as much as the shootings.

Zhao was arrested about two hours after the taking pictures as he sat in his parked automotive outdoors the sheriff’s substation in Half Moon Bay.

The felony criticism costs Zhao within the order that investigators imagine the killings and tried killing occurred, Wagstaffe mentioned. The costs begin with Qi Zhong Cheng, and finish with Ai Xiang Zhang.

“This investigation is 2 days previous,” Wagstaffe mentioned. “There’s an terrible lot extra to be taught.”

The costs enable for all times with out parole or demise if convicted, however Wagstaffe mentioned a choice on the demise penalty has not been made.

Gemma DiCasimirro, Irene Byon and Phil Helsel contributed.

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