Sacto 9-1-1

By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com

The trial date has been set for Nov. 8 for former California Highway Patrol Officer Ruben Salgado in Placer County Superior Court. He is accused of trying to arrange a murder for hire.

Salgado (left) also faces gun and drug charges.

Today Salgado entered a "not guilty" plea to the consolidated set of charges, said Art Campos a spokesman for the Placer County District Attorney's Office.

With the trail set to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 8, that last matters to settle are the courtroom and judge. Those questions should be answered at a trial assignment hearing Nov. 5.

The trial is expected about a week, officials said.

Salgado, a 12-year CHP veteran, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol on May 11 in Rocklin after he allegedly paid a confidential informant $100 for 1/8 ounce of methamphetamine, according to a court brief filed by the Placer County district attorney.

At the time of his arrest, he had a semiautomatic pistol in his pants pocket and another on the front floorboard of his car, and was under the influence of methamphetamine, according to the court document.

The CHP reported that Salgado's employment with the agency ended June 30. He had been assigned to patrol duties in the Auburn area since January 2009.

Salgado pleaded not guilty to the drug and weapons charges and was free on $70,000 bail when he was arrested in the early morning hours of July 15 after allegedly offering another confidential informant $10,000 to murder the first informant, who is a witness in the case.

According to the court brief, the witness told a CHP investigator July 6 that she had heard through contacts that Salgado was "looking to take her out of the game."

An informant, who allegedly was solicited to arrange the murder, said Salgado stated that if the witness wasn't around, there would be no case against him.

According to the court brief, the informant told Salgado that the informant's brother had just been released from prison and could do the job.

When all three met in a parking lot on Richards Boulevard in Sacramento on July 14, Salgado allegedly gave details of how the murder was to occur, and discussed destruction of evidence and what to do with the witness's body.

The brief says Salgado told the individual who was to carry out the murder that he could provide a photo of the intended victim as early as July 19.

Salgado was arrested shortly after that conversation, according to the court document, and a search of his hotel room turned up a baggie of methamphetamine and a methamphetamine pipe.

Call The Bee's Ed Fletcher, (916) 321-1269.