California Restaurateur Arrested After Alleged Five-Year Arson Spree Targeting Family and Employees

Federal agents arrested Robert “Bobby” Salazar, owner of a small central-California taqueria chain, after authorities say he set five fires between 2020 and 2024 as part of alleged schemes to commit insurance fraud, intimidate staff and retaliate against a relative.

Robert “Bobby” Salazar, 63, was taken into custody last Tuesday after federal agents say he started a string of fires at five properties tied to family members and employees over a four-year period. Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) say the incidents, which occurred between 2020 and 2024, were unrelated in setting but linked by evidence that led authorities to Salazar, who owns and operates Bobby Salazar’s Taqueria, a three-location restaurant chain in central California that also markets a line of guacamole and salsa sold at select supercenters including Walmart and Costco.

Federal filings and media reports indicate the attacks encompassed multiple targets and methods. Authorities allege Salazar threw an incendiary device — described in court papers as a Molotov cocktail — into the home of his sister’s former husband and that a similar device was used in an attack on a law office representing an employee who had sued him. Investigators describe the overall pattern as aimed variously at extracting money through insurance claims, creating fear among employees and exacting personal revenge, though the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California has not publicly released a detailed charging document as of this reporting.

Court records and statements by investigators obtained by reporters say that the five suspected arson events took place at different properties over several years and were investigated separately before agents from the ATF and other federal authorities narrowed their inquiry to Salazar. Sources familiar with the probe told reporters that physical evidence and investigative leads pointing to incendiary devices and purchase or handling patterns contributed to focusing the investigation on the restaurateur. Authorities contend the incidents were not random and that each fire had a nexus to family members, employees or business disputes.

Salazar, who built a small regional restaurant brand and a packaged-food line sold in major retail chains, has been a public figure in his communities for years. The taqueria chain’s growth into retail products broadened the business’s footprint beyond its brick-and-mortar locations, placing the owner’s name and brand in national grocery channels. The alleged arson spree, law enforcement officials say, stemmed in part from disputes tied to his business and personal relationships.

The alleged attacks drew the involvement of multiple investigative units because of the interstate and commercial implications, sources said. The ATF’s jurisdiction includes investigating the use of explosives and incendiary devices that cross state lines or involve federal offenses; the agency has been active in probing suspicious fires and explosive use connected to alleged insurance fraud in recent years. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of California is handling federal prosecutions arising from the investigation, according to court notations filed in relation to the case.

Investigators describe the pattern of incidents as varied: some fires were linked to insurance claims, while others appeared to be acts intended to intimidate or retaliate against individuals connected to Salazar’s business operations. The arrests followed a wider probe that, according to sources, pieced together surveillance, physical evidence and witness statements across multiple jurisdictions. At least one of the incidents alleged to involve Salazar targeted a law practice that was representing an employee in litigation against the restaurateur.

The business and local community were alerted to the arrests after the federal arrest was executed, drawing attention to the interplay between small-business ownership, private disputes and criminal allegations. Attorneys for any of the parties involved, including Salazar himself, had not filed public statements in federal court as of the latest filings reviewed by reporters and no immediate public comment was released by Salazar’s restaurant chain.

Prosecutors typically review the totality of an investigation before filing formal charges; in this case, the Eastern District filings indicate federal authorities intend to pursue the matter through the federal court system. Charging decisions and the specific statutes under which Salazar may be prosecuted — including potential counts related to arson, use of an explosive device, insurance fraud and related conspiracies — will be reflected in formal indictments or information filings as the case moves forward.

Local officials and business associates will likely monitor the legal process closely because of the potential implications for employees, customers and retail partners. Salazar’s packaged food products, which bear his name and are sold through national retailers, could face reputational strain depending on the outcome of prosecutions. Retail partners and regional vendors typically evaluate contractual relationships and public messaging when principals of supplier brands face criminal allegations, but no retailer statements have been publicly reported in connection with this investigation.

Arson and insurance-fraud investigations can be lengthy, involving forensic analysis of burn patterns, accelerant detection, device forensics and financial records. Federal authorities, including the ATF, routinely collaborate with local fire marshals and insurance investigators when fires are suspicious or when device use crosses into federal territory. The case against Salazar, as described by investigators, intersects those investigative disciplines because it purportedly involves incendiary devices, multiple targets and an alleged motive tied partly to insurance benefits.

The next steps in the case will include preliminary court appearances, potential detention hearings and eventual presentation of formal charges if prosecutors elect to proceed. Federal court dockets for the Eastern District of California will record filings and scheduling; until formal charges are unsealed, many investigative details may remain under seal or redacted in court documents to protect ongoing inquiries.

There was no immediate public comment from Salazar or his business following the arrest. Federal authorities have signaled the matter remains an active investigation, and officials asked that anyone with additional information linked to the incidents contact the ATF’s San Francisco Field Division or the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.