Kevin Salazar Convicted in Ryan Clinkunbroomer Murder in Palmdale

Jury finds defendant guilty in 2023 ambush killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy

A Los Angeles County jury on Monday convicted Kevin Eduardo Cataneo Salazar, 32, of murdering Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, who was shot in the head while sitting in a marked patrol vehicle at a traffic light outside the sheriff’s department station in Palmdale, California, on Sept. 16, 2023.

Jurors found Salazar guilty of murder and upheld special allegations that he deliberately lay in wait and carried out the willful, premeditated killing of a peace officer. The verdict resolves the guilt phase of a case that drew widespread attention because Clinkunbroomer was ambushed in broad daylight while on duty, only four days after proposing to his fiancée.

Clinkunbroomer, 30, was a third-generation member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Colleagues described him as dependable and intelligent, often trusted to train other deputies in workplace assignments. He had followed his father and grandfather into law enforcement and hoped eventually to become a detective.

Sanity phase will determine prison or state hospital placement

Salazar entered dual pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity. With the jury having found that he committed the killing, the trial is scheduled to return Wednesday for proceedings focused on his mental state at the time of the shooting.

That phase will determine whether Salazar is legally responsible for the crime and can be sentenced to prison, or whether he was legally insane when Clinkunbroomer was killed and should instead be committed to a state hospital for psychiatric treatment. If jurors find he was sane, Salazar faces a possible life sentence.

Defense attorney George Rosenstock said it was never disputed that Salazar fired the fatal shot from a vehicle. The remaining question, Rosenstock said, is whether Salazar was legally sane at the time. In court filings, the defense has argued that Salazar could not distinguish right from wrong or understand the nature of his conduct because of his mental condition. Rosenstock has sought testimony from relatives and mental-health professionals about Salazar’s history.

Salazar’s mother told the Los Angeles Times in 2023 that her son heard voices telling him to kill himself and had twice been hospitalized for mental-health treatment. Prosecutors, however, alleged that Salazar later told undercover operatives in jail that he had wanted to kill a police officer for years and had driven around following officers while playing music to prepare himself.

Investigators linked suspect to shooting within two days

Evidence presented earlier in the case showed that a motorist contacted authorities after being aggressively confronted by a driver minutes before Clinkunbroomer was shot. Investigators identified Salazar as a suspect, and sheriff’s deputies arrested him two days later at his Palmdale home. Authorities recovered a .22-caliber revolver there, according to evidence discussed during prior proceedings.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman called the verdict an important step toward accountability for what he described as a brutal and senseless killing. Sheriff Robert Luna said Clinkunbroomer’s service, sacrifice and family legacy in the department would be remembered.

Clinkunbroomer’s fiancée, Brittany Lindsey, previously described him as the best man she had ever met, saying she was grateful to have loved him despite the brief time they had together. Salazar’s sanity trial is pending, and the jury’s decision in that phase will determine his ultimate placement and sentence.