Monday, 10 August 2026, 15:17
Two construction workers are dead after a trench collapsed at a Stockton job site. The victims were identified Monday by the San Joaquin County Medical Examiner's Office. Cal/OSHA is investigating the circumstances of the collapse.
Stockton firefighters received a call at about 5:15 a.m. Saturday to the 7900 block of North El Dorado Street, near Hammer Lane. A reporting party said two people were believed to be trapped in a collapsed trench. The trench was about 10 feet deep before it caved in, fire officials said.
Deputy Chief Erik Patten said the reporting party believed the workers were last seen inside the trench Friday night. Another employee returned to the site Saturday morning and found the men's vehicle still there with their cellphones inside, according to KCRA. When crews arrived, they secured and stabilized the area before starting a technical rescue operation. Crews from Stockton Public Works and heavy equipment operators helped dig through the collapsed soil. Both workers were found dead.
The San Joaquin County Medical Examiner's Office named the victims as Raul Zepeda, 49, of Lodi, and Raul Cristostomo De La Cruz, 34, of Stockton. A man who said he had worked with both men told ABC10 they were digging drainage at a new supermarket that was about to open. "The drainage was the last job. That's what my friend had told me," Jose Alfredo Flores said. "They were doing the last job before opening the store. And they went in to hurry up and try to finish the job."
Katherine Wzorek, a Cal/OSHA public information officer, confirmed the agency has opened an inspection. Cal/OSHA has up to six months to issue citations if workplace safety violations are found. The agency requires protective systems for trenches deeper than 5 feet, unless the trench is in stable rock. It is unclear what shoring or barriers, if any, were in place.
Trenching is one of the most dangerous jobs in construction and employers are legally required to protect their workers.
Cal/OSHA Chief Debra Lee made that statement during the agency's trench safety campaign in June. Cal/OSHA asked employers to take part in National Trench Safety Stand Down Week and review safety guidelines with employees.
The collapse happened in the 7900 block of North El Dorado Street, a busy corridor near the Hammer Lane intersection. The construction site is the former Lion Market. Job fairs were held at the same building in recent months for La Tapatia Market, which is slated to take over the former market. The city of Stockton said the project was not being conducted by the city. Stockton police and code enforcement are assisting with the investigation.
A memorial of candles and two bouquets of flowers has been placed at the scene. Neighbors and drivers stopped to pay their respects and question how the accident happened.
Trench collapses are a known and often preventable hazard. A Cal/OSHA report from October 2022 counted 26 worker deaths and 207 injuries in California over a five-year period. Between 2021 and 2025, Cal/OSHA issued 90 trench safety violations connected to deaths or injuries. The agency considers such cave-ins highly preventable when proper shoring, sloping, and protective systems are used.
The deaths of Raul Zepeda and Raul Cristostomo De La Cruz have shaken the Stockton construction community and raised questions about job site safety. Cal/OSHA's investigation will determine whether safety rules were followed. Until then, the memorial on El Dorado Street stands as a reminder of the cost of a trench collapse.
