2 construction workers killed in Stockton trench collapse identified

The San Joaquin County Medical Examiner has identified the two construction workers killed in a trench collapse in Stockton over the weekend.

The men were identified as 34-year-old Raul Cristostomo de la Cruz of Lodi and 49-year-old Raul Zepeda of Stockton.

The deadly collapse happened at a construction site near Hammer Lane and El Dorado Street, where crews were working on improvements for the La Tapatia supermarket.

The City of Stockton confirmed permits had been pulled for the work by TJ Construction. The permits were for tenant improvements, including the installation of a grease interceptor at the supermarket, which was preparing to reopen under new ownership.

According to the Stockton Fire Department, the two men were last seen by a colleague around 5:30 p.m. Friday.

"They said they were going to go down in the hole and get some measurements, and that was the last time they were seen," Stockton Fire Deputy Chief Erik Patten said.

The colleague returned to the site early Saturday morning and discovered the trench had collapsed. The fire department was called to the scene.

"It looked like the walls had actually collapsed into the trench," Patten said. "With the amount that had to be excavated from the hole, they had no chance."

Fire officials believe the workers may have been trapped beneath the debris for as long as 12 hours.

Patten said it appeared the trench did not have shoring in place, which is meant to help prevent the walls from collapsing.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal-OSHA) has launched an investigation into the incident, including what safety measures were in place at the construction site.

Officials said the investigation could take up to six months to complete.