Kevin Cataneo Salazar sentenced to life for killing L.A. deputy

A jury has rejected an insanity defense for Kevin Eduardo Cataneo Salazar, 32, ensuring he will receive a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Salazar was convicted of the September 2023 murder of Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer.

Prosecutors stated that Salazar shot Clinkunbroomer in the head with a .22-caliber revolver outside the Palmdale sheriff’s station. While the defense argued that Salazar was suffering from severe mental illness and hearing voices, prosecutors presented evidence that Salazar had admitted to wanting to kill a police officer for years and had prepared for such an attack.

Clinkunbroomer, a 30-year-old aspiring detective and third-generation deputy, was described by colleagues as smart and dependable.