Robert "Bobby" Salazar, 63, was charged with arson of commercial property and arson in furtherance of a felony. Salazar owned a chain of Fresno restaurants including Bobby Salazar's Taqueria and Bobby Salazar's Mexican Restaurant & Cantina. He terminated the Blackstone Avenue lease on Jan. 31, 2024, closed the location and used the facility to store restaurant equipment. He renewed and increased the insurance policy on the location by about $102,000 from the previous year. Investigators determined an April 2, 2024, fire was arson, found ignitable liquid and partially burned gas cans, and recovered surveillance showing two people lighting the fire. A woman interviewed said Salazar paid her and another man to set the fire, and the man was identified as the president of the Screamin' Demons Motorcycle Club.
On April 2, 2024, a fire broke out at the restaurant, according to the release, which cited court documents. Investigators determined that the cause of the blaze was arson and that the front and rear doors of the restaurant were open. They also found an ignitable liquid, two partially burned gas cans and surveillance video of two people lighting the fire.
Agents located and interviewed the woman seen on the surveillance video, who told them Salazar had paid her and another man to set fire to the restaurant, but she claimed she didn't light the fire, according to court records. Law enforcement also examined her phone records and found conversations in which she and the man in the surveillance video discussed the alleged arson, authorities said.
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