A preliminary hearing for a popular Fresno restaurant owner accused of arson will wait four weeks.

Bobby Salazar will return to federal court Oct. 9 on arson, insurance fraud and illegal gun charges.

Federal authorities arrested the owner of the Bobby Salazar’s restaurant and salsa brand on Aug. 26.

Prosecutors say Salazar paid the leader of a Sanger motorcycle club to set fire to his Blackstone Avenue restaurant in 2024. Salazar received more than $980,000 in an insurance settlement.

Neither Salazar nor his public defender were immediately available for comment.

Delay to Consult with Attorney

After spending three days in custody, U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara McAuliffe released Salazar on a $1 million bond Aug. 29. He was scheduled for a Thursday, Sept. 11, preliminary hearing, but the court delayed it four weeks to allow him to consult with an attorney.

“Counsel for defendant believes that failure to grant the above-requested continuance would deny him the reasonable time necessary for effective preparation, taking into account the exercise of due diligence,” U.S. Magistrate Judge Stanley Boone wrote, signing the order on Sept. 2.

Federal public defender Kara Ottervanger represented Salazar in previous court appearances. It is not clear if he has hired private counsel. However, a hearing is scheduled for Thursday for an update on who will represent Salazar.

Bond and Release Conditions

The bond includes Salazar’s cash and/or property, according to court documents. Salazar’s public defender argued, during his detention hearing on Aug. 29, that his bank account is nearly empty. Federal prosecutors cast doubt on his finances, claiming there was nearly $250,000 unaccounted for.

Ottervanger said checks written to and from Salazar were for normal business purposes.

Salazar agreed to several conditions to his release including not leaving the judicial district — generally from Bakersfield to the Oregon border and east of the Bay Area — without prior approval; submitting DNA samples if requested; not associating with any known gang members; not have any contact with potential witnesses; not possessing any weapons; and surrendering his passport.

His establishments in the Tower District — Bobby Salazar’s Taqueria and Lucy’s Lounge — were open on Monday.