The man suspected of having killed seven of his fellow agricultural workers in California admitted the facts Thursday, January 26 to an American journalist and assured to suffer from mental disorders, while denouncing the overwork imposed by his employer.
Currently in pretrial detention, Chunli Zhao is to be prosecuted for the two attacks he perpetrated on Monday at two farms in Half Moon Bay, near San Francisco.
This 66-year-old Chinese admitted his guilt on Thursday to an NBC journalist who visited him in prison.
"He admitted to doing it"
and
"he regrets it
," said Janelle Wang, one of NBC's local San Francisco-area anchors.
During their interview in Mandarin, limited to 15 minutes, the suspect explained that he
“thinks he suffers from certain mental disorders”
, she added.
"He's been battling it for a while and he says he wasn't in his normal state on Monday."
Arrested in the parking lot of a police station a few hours after the massacre, the suspect said he had parked there to surrender, according to her.
Among his victims, five are Chinese and two are Mexicans.
Another of his ex-colleagues, also Mexican, was injured and is still hospitalized.
In an attempt to explain his act, Chunli Zhao said
"he felt like he had suffered years of humiliation"
, summed up the journalist.
"He had a lot of complaints about long hours and overwork, and he talked about them, but he says they weren't addressed."
Read alsoEighteen dead in California, hit by two killings in 48 hours
In the wake of the killings, authorities opened an investigation into working conditions at the two farms.
Visiting Half Moon Bay on Tuesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom denounced
“the conditions”
imposed on some farms in the state, with workers
“living in containers, earning nine dollars an hour”
– although below minimum wage - and have
"no health coverage"
.
According to Janelle Wang, Chunli Zhao, father of a 40-year-old daughter who resides in China, lived in Half Moon Bay with his wife.
He explained that he has lived in the United States for 11 years and holds a green card, the famous sesame which allows immigrants to work in the country on a permanent basis.
The suspect, who faces life imprisonment or even the death penalty, has many questions about the judicial process, according to the journalist.
"I don't know if he really understands what awaits him and what he risks
," she explained.
After a brief preliminary hearing on Wednesday, his next appearance is scheduled for February 16.
