Ellensburg Man Accused of Attempted Murder Pleads Not Guilty

An Ellensburg man accused of stabbing an acquaintance in the neck on the way home from a party pleaded not guilty to first-degree attempted murder Monday morning.

Deputies Locate Suspect After Highway Crash

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The Ellensburg Daily Record said the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office arrested 20-year-old Eduardo Salgado after deputies found him in a sedan that crashed into a telephone pole on Vantage Highway just after 10 p.m. on May 6.

What Witnesses Told Investigators

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Authorities had already been looking for Salgado after dispatchers were told he stabbed the man in the neck after he gave Salgado a ride home from a party with friends and coworkers.

Friends Following Vehicle Describe Incident

The incident happened after people gathering at the party told Salgado he was too intoxicated to drive, and another person offered to take him home.

Two friends agreed to follow the driver as he drove Salgado home, with the plan to return to the party in the second car after they dropped Salgado off.

The two friends told police they drove behind the car on Vantage Highway for three miles when the vehicle suddenly pulled to the side of the road and stopped. The driver got out and ran to the other car and told them that Salgado stabbed him.

Court Proceedings and Bail

Salgado is being held in the Kittitas County Jail with bail set at $250,000.