Social media influencer Santos Salazar regained his freedom Monday evening after spending several days in custody, following the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office decision to reject felony charges against him.
Salazar departed the Los Angeles jail facility Monday evening alongside fellow inmates he had befriended during his incarceration. Online records confirm that prosecutors declined to file criminal charges at this time, despite his booking on suspicion of attempted murder.
The Los Angeles Police Department had responded to a domestic violence call at a Los Angeles-area residence last week. Salazar was booked early Thursday morning and held on $1 million bail pending the district attorney's charging decision.
His attorney, Nicholas Rosenberg, had previously characterized the attempted murder booking as excessive and predicted prosecutors might decline to pursue charges. Following Monday's decision, Rosenberg provided a statement to TMZ.com explaining his legal strategy.
"I wrote a letter to the District Attorney urging them to reject the case based upon a lack of specific to kill and problems of proof for the charges. After waiting until the afternoon session of court the family learned that the District Attorney did reject the case and Santos will be released today. He will return to his fiancee Bri Olsen and his one month old baby Son named Sunday," Rosenberg told TMZ.com.
The timing of the arrest proved particularly significant for Salazar's family. He and his girlfriend, model Brianna Olsen, had welcomed their first child together just weeks before the incident. The couple had been sharing their transition to parenthood with their online followers prior to the arrest.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Olsen publicly defended Salazar and expressed confidence in his innocence. She documented portions of his arrest on social media and voiced hope that he would return home following his court appearance.
The attempted murder allegation originated from the domestic violence investigation conducted by LAPD. However, with prosecutors opting not to file charges, Salazar currently faces no criminal case related to the arrest.
While the district attorney's rejection means Salazar is free for now, prosecutors retain the authority to revisit the matter should additional evidence emerge. The case remains technically open to future review, though no charges are pending at this time.
Salazar has now returned to his family, reuniting with Olsen and their one-month-old son, Sunday, following his release from custody.