Longtime Peet's Coffee employee killed in Oakland warehouse roof collapse ID'd
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- One man is dead and a woman is injured after part of the roof at a Peet's Coffee distribution center in Oakland collapsed Friday morning.
The man has been identified as 58-year-old Martin Gonzalez of Oakland, the coroner's office said.
The Oakland Fire Department responded to a deadly partial roof collapse at a Peet's Coffee distribution warehouse Friday morning during the storm.
The collapse happened at 3:15 a.m. at a warehouse on 85th Ave near Railroad Avenue, not far from Ring Central Coliseum.
Officials say that the man died in the collapse, and the woman who was injured was taken to the hospital. She is currently getting treatment and is said to have sustained minor injuries.
The collapsed area is 30 feet by 30 feet and the building has been red-tagged.
According to a Peet's spokesperson, both victims were longtime employees and were sitting in the office when the roof collapsed.
VIDEO: SKY7 shows deadly roof collapse at Oakland warehouse
Employees are mourning their long-time coworker.
"The employee had been part of Peet's for more than a decade, I think 17 years. Peet's is a close family, beloved employee. This is really, really a shock for the employees, for all of us," said Peet's spokesperson Mary O'Connell, who said the male employee was in the office when the roof collapsed.
She says Peet's coffee is roasted in nearby Alameda and brought to the Oakland warehouse for nationwide distribution.
"So what happens is the distribution lead comes in early, gets ready for the day, gets everything organized and then the day begins," O'Connell said.
O'Connell says the employee arrived at 3 a.m., and the collapse happened about 15 minutes later, just before about 70 employees were scheduled to start at 4 a.m.
ABC7 News asked if the collapse was storm-related.
"I can certainly say that, that will be one of the areas that the forensic engineers investigate," said Christopher Foley, Oakland Fire Department battalion chief.
"It's way too early to tell definitively if that was the cause. But I imagine that that'll be one of the things that is looked at when they try and figure out if there was an excessive load on that roof system."
Peet's leases the building.
Prologis, which owns the building, said in a statement:
"This is a tragic accident, and our hearts go out to the employees and their families. We are fully investigating the circumstances of the accident and will work closely with local authorities and our customer."
The man who died leaves behind a wife.
Stay with ABC7 News for updates on this developing story.
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