Salazar faces arson and fraud charges after allegedly hiring a motorcycle club member to set fire to the Bobby Salazar's restaurant on Blackstone Avenue in exchange for a $980,000 insurance payout, according to court documents.
"Mr. Salazar had apparently rented the location out to someone else. That tenant wasn't able to keep the business open, so he took it back over at the end of 2023," legal analyst Roger Bonakdar said. "In 2024, he takes possession of the property, re-ups the insurance policy and even adds coverage for loss of rental income, even though the property wasn't rented. He claims he was using it for storage, according to the complaint. Yet about four months later, the building burns down."
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Bonakdar said Salazar's insurance company and federal investigators had been looking into him for years before his arrest.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage and cellphone data that placed two people, later identified as co-conspirators, near the scene. Both were members of a local motorcycle gang.
"They take one of these individuals into custody and start recording their jail calls," Bonakdar said. "That person starts communicating with other alleged members of the Screamin' Demon motorcycle gang. Then one who is alleged to be the president of this motorcycle gang connects with, allegedly, Bobby Salazar."
According to the complaint, Salazar denied knowing the two men during the insurance company's investigation, but recorded jail calls suggest otherwise.
The complaint also references prior allegations.
"Back in 2020, there was a civil lawsuit involving Mr. Salazar and one of his former employees," Bonakdar said. "That employee, who sued him, apparently had three of their vehicles hit by Molotov cocktails and burned. Later that same year, allegedly, the former brother-in-law of Mr. Salazar was also targeted with Molotov cocktails. Shortly thereafter, a local attorney's office representing an employee against Mr. Salazar had its office hit with Molotov cocktails."
Friends of Salazar, who declined to speak on camera, said they believe he is innocent and remain optimistic.
Salazar's restaurants remain open.
If convicted, Salazar faces up to 30 years in prison. Wednesday's court appearance was continued to Thursday as he awaits legal representation. He remains in federal custody.
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