A Los Angeles County jury on Monday convicted a man of murder in the 2023 ambush-style shooting of a sheriff’s deputy in broad daylight.
The jury found Kevin Eduardo Cataneo Salazar, 32, guilty of intentionally killing 30-year-old Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer in Palmdale.
Jurors also found Salazar guilty of all the special circumstances attached to the murder charge, including convicting him of murder of a peace officer, lying in wait and firing from a vehicle and certain weapons violations.
Jurors will return Wednesday to determine if Salazar, who had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, was sane enough to be held accountable for his crimes.
He could face life in prison if the jury deems him competent. If not, Salazar will be sent to a state psychiatric institution.
Court testimony revealed that Salazar had been screaming at someone a few moments before he encountered Clinkunbroomer near a sheriff’s station on Sept. 16, 2023.
Prosecutors said Salazar pulled his car up next to the deputy’s patrol vehicle and opened fire on the victim. Clinkunbroomer had become engaged just days earlier.
Salazar’s family said he had a history of schizophrenia and other serious mental health issues.
Both the prosecution and the defense attorneys described how Salazar had been roaming around the Palmdale area and confronting complete strangers in the days leading up to the attack.
But prosecutors said that Salazar, after being arrested, admitted to undercover operatives in the jail that he had wanted to kill a police officer for years and had been preparing himself for such a chance.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.