SAN LEANDRO, Calif. (Reuters) — The owner of a California sausage factory was charged in federal court Friday with murdering two U.S. Department of Agriculture officials who came to inspect his plant.
Stuart Alexander, 39, was also expected to be charged separately in state court with the murder of a state health inspector who died Wednesday in the shooting rampage at the Santos Linguisa factory in San Leandro, about 25 miles southeast of San Francisco.
The three inspectors were killed as they attempted to serve a citation on Alexander's factory for violating health laws.
Police said meanwhile that both the health inspectors and Alexander had separately called for police help before the slayings — which punctuated a long and hostile relationship between Alexander and health authorities.