Barely a week after their colleagues were fatally shot, workers were back picking mushrooms at a farm in northern California.
The young woman wondered why the two were engaged in such hard labor at their age. Though they struggled to communicate through language, with the woman speaking Spanish and the couple speaking Mandarin, they got to know each other by pointing, signing and laughing and felt like a big family, she said. She credited them with helping her learn the ropes of harvesting mushrooms through gestures and a translation app on her phone.
Zhao, 66, has been charged with seven counts of murder and one of attempted murder. He is set to be arraigned on Feb. 16. Eric Hove, Zhao’s attorney, did not immediately return an email Friday seeking comment. “Grandma, and also grandpa, were so patient with me; they would teach me,” the young woman said, tears filling her eyes. “They always helped me and were very good to me.”
The man has worked on farms in Half Moon Bay for the past decade and described the struggle that he and others face doing grueling work with pay that barely covers their living expenses. Last week, San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller visited the housing at California Terra Garden, where some of its workers lived along with their families, and described it as “deplorable” and “heartbreaking.” Muller, who represents Half Moon Bay and other agricultural towns,David Oates, a spokesperson for California Terra Garden, said Friday the employees there returned to work on Monday and have been given access to grief counseling.
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