Bay Area beekeepers plead guilty in connection with employee’s death

Two beekeepers pleaded guilty Wednesday to safety violations that led to the death of an employee in Novato in 2018.

Defendants Mark Dennis Tauzer and son Trevor Hansen Tauzer previously pleaded not guilty to the charge of causing the victim’s death. They changed their plea after their attorneys successfully got the felony charge reduced to a misdemeanor in Marin Superior Court.

The case revolves around events at a construction site belonging to the defendants’ Yolo County-based company, Tauzer Apiaries Inc. According to the California Department of Occupational Safety and Health, employee Carlos Del Toro became trapped between a cage and a forklift while exiting a Bobcat. His death was ruled an accident.

Judge Kelly Simmons sentenced the Tauzers to one year of probation on Wednesday. She also ordered them to pay restitution to the victim’s family and complete a safety course on operating heavy machinery.

Prosecutor Geoff Iida and defense attorneys Peter Goodman and Geoffrey Rotwein declined to comment on the case.