Plumbing Contractor Could Face Criminal Charges in Cave-In : Accident: Witnesses say the trench where a worker was killed had not been reinforced as the law requires.

Los Angeles authorities are considering criminal charges against a Northridge plumbing contractor who witnesses said failed to reinforce a 10-foot-deep trench before it collapsed Monday, killing one worker and injuring two others.

Witnesses have told investigators that the walls of the trench had not been supported, as state codes require for trenches deeper than five feet.

If Los Angeles County prosecutors conclude that the contractor, Bill Lindon, 60, was responsible, they could file involuntary manslaughter charges against him, said Jan Chatten-Brown, special assistant to Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner.

The cave-in occurred along a 15-foot section of trench dug to replace a sewer line to a warehouse leased to Watkins Motor Lines Inc. at 12200 Montague St. in Pacoima. The accident killed Jose Alonzo, 63--who was buried for about 30 minutes before rescuers dug him out--and injured Jose Rivera, 34, and Lindon.

Lindon, hospitalized with a broken pelvis at Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, was reluctant to comment.

“You don’t have the whole story,” he told a reporter. “I don’t have time to talk to you.”

His wife, Elizabeth, said Lindon abided by regulations and was concerned about the safety of his workers.

“He always cared about other people’s safety,” she said. “He was always bawling the guys out to do the right thing, to be careful.”

Witnesses have told authorities that the trench was not reinforced, and Chatten-Brown said an investigator for her office did not see any supports at the site Monday. She said prosecutors will make their decision in about two months.

Dean Herbert, who works at Watkins and helped rescue the men, said in an interview at the site Tuesday that he had seen no shoring in the trench since work began a week ago. Pieces of wood in the trench were put there by rescuers, Herbert said.

The California Code of Regulations requires trenches deeper than five feet to be shored, sloped or protected from collapse by means outlined in detailed sections on proper procedure.

The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration also is investigating the accident and stopped all work at the site, spokesman Rich Rice said.

Rice said Lindon had no previous complaints on file with his agency. A spokeswoman at the state Contractor’s Licensing Board in Sacramento said Lindon’s license was in good standing.

Alonzo died seven hours after the 11:30 a.m. accident. Rivera was treated for minor injuries at Holy Cross and released Monday afternoon.

Elizabeth Lindon said neither Alonzo nor Rivera were permanent employees, but Alonzo had worked for her husband several times in the past.

News of the collapse spread quickly among San Fernando Valley plumbing contractors. Some posted newspaper articles about the incident in their offices, circling words like “died” and “safety.” Several agreed with Elizabeth Lindon’s description of her husband as a conscientious employer who worked hard and would not put his workers in danger.

They said precautions such as shoring or sloping are especially important in certain parts of the northeast Valley because the soil is unstable and full of rocks.

“It’s unstable as hell out there,” said Jack Picard, owner of Watson Plumbing.