Mushroom farm at scene of mass shooting in Half Moon Bay sees new threat

He allegedly approached the farmworkers with his 4-year-old son in tow.

Guerraortiz, who was employed by the farm for eight months before taking a leave of absence, was rehired and then let go after only a few days.

He was allegedly angry with the victims because they had teased him about his wife’s affair with another employee, Wagstaffe said, although the victims said in statements to police they didn’t know why he was threatening them and were terrified for their lives.

“All four of them absolutely believed they were going to die,” Wagstaffe said.

Guerraortiz reportedly said in police statements that he was just trying to scare the farmworkers and was not in possession of a gun, Wagstaffe said. He was also allegedly a regular methamphetamine user.

He has been charged with four counts of felony threat as well as four counts of felony vandalism — two for allegedly vandalizing victim’s vehicles before leaving the scene, one for allegedly slashing the tires of an employee car the day before and one for allegedly vandalizing a fence.

Although there isn’t an apparent connection between the crimes, Wagstaffe said the victims were all aware of the shooting that had occurred the year prior and the DA’s Office is focused on providing them victim’s services like counseling.

“There seems to be a recurrence of problems there,” Wagstaffe said. “There’s nothing you can point to that’s a culture of climate of violence … it is eerie these things keep happening.”

Guerraortiz is in custody on a $140,000 bail, has pleaded not guilty to all eight charges and will have a preliminary hearing on Aug. 12.