Arrest Made In Milpitas Accident Where Construction Worker Was Buried Alive

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF)— Authorities have arrested the CEO of a construction company in the death of a carpenter who was buried alive by a dirt wall at a Milpitas' construction site.

Richard Liu, CEO of US-Sino Investment, Inc., was arrested Monday at San Francisco International Airport.

The 52-year-old real-estate agent flew in from China to defend himself against involuntary manslaughter charges resulting from Raul Zapata Mercado's death in 2012.

Mercado died when he was buried in a 12-foot trench where Liu's company was building a 5,800-square-foot mansion.

Prosecutors say the company didn't have a proper permit for its work on the home.

Liu's lawyers say a city building inspector visited the site shortly before the accident but didn't order the crew to stop.

© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.