A former Vancouver man suspected in the May killing of his roommate made a first appearance Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court.
David Jonathan Salgado, 20, appeared on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting May 9 at an apartment in the Bagley Downs neighborhood.
He was arrested last month in Venice Beach, Calif., by the U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Fugitive Task Force. Authorities said that Salgado jumped into the ocean to avoid capture.
Salgado, who appeared in court wearing a suicide prevention smock — given to prisoners who may try to harm themselves with standard jail clothing — denied that he jumped into the ocean to flee from arrest. He said he was at the beach with some friends.
Deputy Prosecutor Aaron Bartlett asked that Salgado be held in the Clark County Jail on $1 million bail.
He argued that Salgado is a flight risk and has no ties to the community. Salgado has family and friends in California and Texas.
When asked to address the bail amount, Salgado called the request outrageous.
Still, Judge Daniel Stahnke honored the request.
According to a probable cause affidavit, investigators believe that Salgado lured one roommate away from their apartment to kill the other roommate, Fernando Cendejas.
Salgado, Cendejas and Amador Patino lived together at the Ashley Terrace Apartments, 4500 Nicholson Road. Patino found his brother and roommate, Cendejas, dead on the couch. Cendejas had been shot multiple times, Patino said. Candejas suffered a gunshot wound to the head, the affidavit states.
Although Patino found his brother’s body about 12:30 a.m., he didn’t call 911 until just before 4 a.m., court records show. He told police he was in shock and fled but that he called for help when he returned to the apartment.
Patino told detectives that he had gotten a call from Salgado to meet up for food just after midnight, according to court documents. Patino went to the restaurant, but when Salgado didn’t show, he said he came back to the apartment about 30 minutes later to find his brother dead, the affidavit states.
In an interview with detectives, Salgado said he discovered Cendejas’ body in the same manner as Patino, court records said.
Surveillance footage from a neighboring apartment, however, captured the sound of gunshots followed by a man who resembled Salgado leaving the apartment, according to court documents.
Detectives also obtained a search warrant for Salgado’s cellphone and recovered time-stamped photos of him posing with a semi-automatic pistol around the time of the shooting, court records said. GPS data also placed Salgado at the apartment within 10 minutes of the homicide, the affidavit states.
Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive for the shooting.
During his court appearance, Salgado said he thinks his mother will hire an attorney for him. Stahnke appointed Vancouver defense attorney Steve Rucker to represent Salgado in the meantime.
Salgado will be arraigned Aug. 11.
