Construction Firm CEO Arrested in Carpenter’s Death at Work Site

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.

The San Jose Mercury News reports Richard Liu, CEO of US-Sino Investment, Inc., was arrested Monday at the San Francisco 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.

Zapata 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.