News : Vehicular homicide suspect back in jail after alcohol arrest; bond now $500,000

Raul Salazar, Jr., 39, arrested Aug. 10 for three counts of vehicular homicide, is back in jail.

Court records indicate that Salazar, who had posted $75,000 bond after his arrest, was arrested again on Thursday (today) for public intoxication, accused of showing up drunk to a meeting today with a probation officer.

Salazar's initial terms of release included his agreement to obey all laws and refrain from consuming alcohol.

"He is back in custody, in another county," said Sheriff Randy Forsyth.

Bond has now been set at $500,000 (plus the $75,000 already paid).

Salazar faces charges of OWI and three counts of vehicular homicide, for the deaths of Valerie Ann Schneiders, 22; Jason C. Bessert, 24; and Hailey R. Bessert, 3, all of Cedar Rapids. He was also charged with preventing apprehension; witnesses reported seeing Salazar and another man trying to hide bottles of beer in a field after the accident.

A preliminary hearing has been set for next Thursday, Aug. 29, at 9 a.m.

DNA tests on vehicle air bag

Salazar initially admitted to being the driver of the truck involved in that accident, according to court records. Now, however, he says he was not driving the pickup truck that collided with a car at the intersection of Highway 30 and 16th Avenue south of Keystone that Saturday evening. Investigators from the Benton County Sheriff's Office have conducted forensic tests on the airbags that deployed in the pickup as well as collected a DNA sample from Salazar.

Court records also indicate that Salazar owns a construction business and real estate worth $350,000 in Texas. Because he is considered a flight risk, Salazar will have to wear a GPS monitor if he manages to post the $500,000 bond.

Passenger remains in custody

Forsyth said that the passenger in the pickup who was arrested for preventing apprehension has remained in custody since the night of the accident. Rafael Moreno, 29, is accused of trying to help Salazar hide beer cans in a farm field immediately after the accident.

See a previous story about the accident and arrest HERE.