A former Chula Vista police officer who is on probation for drunk driving and cheating at a casino will stand trial on April 3 on new charges of hit and run, drunk driving, and offering to bribe a witness.
Jesus Angel Salazar, 32, agreed to stand trial on Jan. 16 in El Cajon Superior Court when he waived having a preliminary hearing on the charges involving an Oct. 10, 2012 incident in East County.
He has pleaded not guilty to six charges and remains free on $100,000 bond. He now lives in Tijuana, according to court records. His attorney could not be reached for comment.
Salazar was driving his 2012 Cadillac Escalade eastbound on Interstate 8 at high speed at 8:13 a.m. when he struck the back of a Kia Sorento near the exit of Japatul Valley Road, according to a California Highway Patrol officer who wrote an arrest warrant declaration. The CHP officer wrote that Salazar had been driving at 90 mph and didn’t see traffic slowing because of his intoxication.
The District Attorney’s office alleges that Salazar’s car became disabled in the crash and he fled the scene, offering $1,000 to two men who caught him and held him for authorities.
He lost his job following his arrest in those two cases.
