Carlos Jimenez Cruz, a 32-year-old farm worker, was tragically killed on October 15, 2020, while maintaining a 16,000-pound spinach harvester on a farm in Watsonville, California, after his clothing was snagged in the machine’s spinning shaft. Willoughby Farms, the farm's owner, and its affiliated LLC have been charged with involuntary manslaughter and three related Labor Code violations for allegedly neglecting safety protocols and failing to provide adequate employee training as reported by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office today.

David Willoughby, president of Willoughby Farms, is now facing a maximum sentence, potentially four years in prison, while his company risks million-dollar fines. Jeff Rosen, the District Attorney, emphasized the obligation of employers to ensure their workers' safety, declaring that neglect of safety regulations that result in worker injury or death was both a crime and a tragedy.

This case is not a first-time occurrence in Santa Clara County. In 2015, the owner and project manager of a construction company were convicted of manslaughter due to an unsupported 12-foot trench collapsing on a worker. Both were sentenced to two years in prison.