HALF MOON BAY – A person pleaded no contest Wednesday to threatening to execute 4 co-workers final 12 months on the similar mushroom farm that was the positioning of a mass taking pictures the place seven individuals had been killed in 2023, in accordance with the San Mateo County District Lawyer’s Workplace.
Edin Moises Guerra Ortiz, 25, pleaded no contest to at least one depend of felony threats and admitted to a severe felony allegation. He was sentenced to 6 months in county jail and two years of supervised probation, prosecutors mentioned.
San Mateo County District Lawyer Stephen Wagstaffe mentioned that six months in jail was “a reasonable sentence for what occurred.”
“Hopefully this individual learned a lesson and learned how scary that conduct is to individuals,” Wagstaffe mentioned. “I’m very satisfied that justice was done in this case.”
At round 11:30 a.m. on July 24, 2024, Guerra Ortiz approached 4 staff of Mountain Mushroom Farm who had been on their lunch break, prosecutors mentioned. Days earlier, he had been fired from job there, authorities mentioned.
Guerra Ortiz, who introduced his 4-year-old son with him, prosecutors added. made a transfer that indicated he was holding a handgun and ordered the 4 staff to kneel down, prosecutors mentioned. He then allegedly threatened to execute them and made extra threats to kill.
He didn’t even have a gun however made motions “effectively enough that the victims fully (believed) that he did have a gun with him,” Wagstaffe mentioned.
Due to the historical past of the farm, the employees had been terrified by Guerra Ortiz’s threats, prosecutors mentioned. The threats got here a 12 months after a disgruntled worker went on a taking pictures spree in January 2023 at Mountain Mushroom Farm and a close-by farming enterprise.
Not one of the victims of Guerra Ortiz’s threats had witnessed the 2023 mass taking pictures.
Wagstaffe added that as a result of this incident occurred solely 18 months after the taking pictures, “there’s tension out there.”
“When somebody lets people think there’s a gun, that’s a dangerous situation. And at the mushroom farm where four of the seven … lost their lives,” Wagstaffe mentioned. “It’s a tense place, and we’re glad that the word can spread around that if you do something like this, you’re going to be in jail for a good stretch.”
In one other incident on the similar farm, a former supervisor of the farm broke right into a employee’s trailer and threatened to kill him and his household. He was charged with tried homicide for taking pictures a handgun by way of the trailer. The shot didn’t trigger any accidents.
Earlier than he left the farm, Guerra Ortiz vandalized two of the victims’ automobiles, prosecutors mentioned. Within the investigation, it was discovered that he had additionally vandalized a fence and slashed the tires of an worker’s automobile the day earlier than the incident.
Guerra Ortiz was arrested July 30, 2024 at his mom’s home. He allegedly informed police that the victims had laughed at him a few private downside and that he wished to scare them.
Guerra Ortiz’s protection lawyer Jason Cueva didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
He was initially charged with 4 counts of creating felony threats and three felony counts of vandalism. One of many vandalism counts was dismissed at a preliminary listening to in August. The others had been dismissed as a part of his plea deal.
Guerra Ortiz’s sentence included 93 days of credited time served and could be modified to a residential therapy program, prosecutors mentioned. Guerra Ortiz can even not be allowed to have any contact with the Mountain Mushroom Farm or any of the 4 victims. He pays $370 in fines and charges.
Guerra Ortiz, who had been out on $140,000 bail, was remanded into custody to start his sentence. He’ll subsequent seem in courtroom July 21 for a restitution listening to.
Initially Revealed: Might 22, 2025 at 4:52 PM PDT
