Boss Accused Of Trying To Kill Employee In Half Moon Bay

HALF MOON BAY, CA — A Peninsula man is accused of attempted murder after investigators allege he tried to kill one of his employees with a malfunctioning gun.

According to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, the victim reported the incident from a Coastside fire station and met with deputies around 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Investigators said the man, a Pacifica resident, told them he worked at Azevado Feed, a family-owned animal feed and bedding store located in Half Moon Bay. Earlier in the night, the man said his employer, Thomas J. Azevedo, 43, brought him to a remote part of the property under the guise of helping fix a fence.

Once they arrived, the victim said Azevedo took out a gun, pointed it at his head, and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not go off.

According to the sheriff's office, Azevedo tried to pull the trigger several times while the victim struggled to take the gun away. Eventually, a shot was fired into the air but no one was injured, authorities said.

The victim went to Coastside Fire Protection District Station 40 to find help.

Deputies traveled to the business and took Azevedo into custody without incident. Investigators said more than a dozen firearms were recovered from the property after a judge signed a gun violence restraining order.

Azevedo was booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility on suspicion of attempted homicide. According to jail records, Azevedo was being held with no bail pending a court appearance scheduled for Friday afternoon.