Ryan Clinkunbroomer’s relatives addressed the court three years after the Palmdale deputy was killed while serving his community.
LOS ANGELES — The family of Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer returned to court Thursday to speak about the life taken from them as Kevin Eduardo Cataneo Salazar was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the deputy’s 2023 murder.
The Oct. 1 sentencing brought a major legal conclusion to a case that has followed Clinkunbroomer’s family, fellow deputies and the Palmdale community for more than three years. Salazar, 32, was convicted Aug. 24 of first-degree murder and special-circumstance allegations in the ambush killing. Jurors later found him legally sane at the time of the crime, rejecting his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity and setting the stage for a prison sentence.
Clinkunbroomer was 30 and had served eight years with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. His service continued a family tradition that stretched back decades. His great-grandfather joined the department in 1937, followed in later generations by Clinkunbroomer’s grandfather and father. Relatives and department leaders have described that history as a central part of the deputy’s connection to law enforcement and public service.
His family’s loss also came as Clinkunbroomer was preparing for a new chapter in his personal life. He had become engaged four days before he was killed on Sept. 16, 2023. He was working that evening and had just left the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station in a marked patrol SUV when authorities said Salazar followed him. The deputy was attacked less than a block from the station while stopped near Sierra Highway and Avenue Q.
Clinkunbroomer was found badly wounded inside the patrol vehicle and rushed to Antelope Valley Medical Center. He died later that night. The killing prompted an intensive search, with investigators reviewing surveillance footage and asking the public for information about a vehicle seen near the scene. Authorities arrested Salazar at his Palmdale home two days later.
At the sentencing hearing, Clinkunbroomer’s parents and siblings gave victim impact statements describing what his death had meant to the family. His mother, Kim Clinkunbroomer, told the court that her son’s life mattered and that his family would carry his memory for the rest of their lives. She said her role as his mother had not ended with his death and that her grief remained part of her life.
The family’s statements came after two jury decisions had settled the principal legal questions in the case. In August, jurors convicted Salazar of first-degree murder and found true allegations involving the murder of a peace officer, lying in wait and firing from a vehicle. They also found that he personally used and discharged a .22-caliber revolver. In September, the same case moved through a separate sanity proceeding because Salazar had also pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
The defense presented evidence that Salazar had a history of severe mental illness, including a schizophrenia diagnosis and episodes of psychosis. His attorneys argued that his condition met the legal standard for insanity when Clinkunbroomer was killed. Prosecutors acknowledged evidence of mental illness but maintained that it did not establish legal insanity. They relied in part on Salazar’s actions surrounding the shooting and statements recorded after his arrest. Jurors sided with the prosecution and found him sane.
Outside the courtroom, Clinkunbroomer’s name has continued to be associated with memorials in Los Angeles County. The Castaic Sports Complex was renamed for him, and county officials also approved the naming of a section of Avenue Q in Palmdale in his honor. The tributes connect his name to communities where his family and colleagues have continued to remember his years in the Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff Robert Luna has said Clinkunbroomer was targeted because he was a uniformed deputy driving a marked patrol vehicle. After the sanity verdict, Luna described him as a model son and colleague and emphasized that his killing affected not only his relatives but also the department. Palmdale officials likewise have said the deputy’s death left a lasting mark on the community where the attack occurred.
Thursday’s sentence means Salazar is to remain in prison for life without the possibility of parole. For Clinkunbroomer’s family, the hearing also provided a public moment to focus on the person behind the case — a son, brother, fiancé and deputy whose relatives said they intend to continue carrying his memory long after the criminal proceedings end.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 2, 2026.