California restauranteur arrested, accused of starting 5 arson fires

"According to Salazar's website, he currently has three eponymous taquerias in Fresno, North Fresno and East Clovis, as well as two cantinas in downtown Clovis and North Fresno. In addition, his salsa and guacamole line is sold in Costcos, Walmarts, Safeways and more across California, the West Coast and even Hawaii and Texas. But all of this success was not enough for Salazar, prosecutors allege in a stunning 22-page affidavit."

"In April 2024, surveillance footage taken from a residence near a Bobby Salazar's Taqueria in Fresno showed a black SUV making several passes of the restaurant around midnight. On the third pass, the driver parked, and two people, a man and a woman, emerged holding gas cans, prosecutors said. Shortly after 1 a.m., the man could be seen bending over and igniting a fire near the back door, the affidavit alleges."

"Investigators learned the restaurant at 2389 N. Blackstone Avenue had closed a few months prior after the franchisee informed Salazar they were terminating the lease. Since then, Salazar allegedly said the location was used as storage for his other restaurants. A month after the restaurant closed, Salazar renewed his insurance policy with Hartford, raising the coverage an additional $100,000 from the prior year, prosecutors said."

Robert "Bobby" Salazar operates multiple taquerias, cantinas and a salsa and guacamole retail line sold at major retailers across the West Coast. Prosecutors allege Salazar used intimidation and arson to bully employees and collect nearly $1 million in fraudulent insurance claims. Surveillance footage from April 2024 shows a black SUV repeatedly circling a Fresno taqueria, two people carrying gas cans, and an individual igniting a fire near a back door shortly after 1 a.m. Firefighters found three separate fires and a K9 detected accelerants. Investigators say the location had closed months earlier, was later insured with increased coverage, and Hartford paid nearly $1 million. Salazar faces decades in prison if convicted.

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