A longtime worker at a Peet’s Coffee distribution center in Oakland died and another worker was injured when a warehouse roof partially collapsed early Friday.
The deceased man was identified as Martin Gonzalez, 58, of Oakland, who had worked for the company for 17 years, according to ABC 7.
The second employee, a woman, was taken to hospital with minor injuries, an Oakland Fire Department spokesperson told The Times.
Fire crews responded to the warehouse in the 600 block of 85th Avenue shortly after 3 a.m. Friday, according the firefighters. Gonzalez was one of the few construction workers at the time.
As a distribution manager, he arrived about an hour before the other employees to get ready for the day. If the crash had happened hours later, more people would likely have been seriously injured, the fire department spokesman said.
The roof collapse was contained within an area of ​​approximately 30 feet by 30 feet. The building has been marked in red.
Authorities did not directly link the collapse to storms that caused widespread damage and flooding in northern California, but were investigating the potential cause.
Peet said in a statement, “We are all devastated by this tragedy” and described Gonzalez as “a beloved part of the Peet family.”
Times writer Jessica Garrison contributed to this report.