Authorities in Los Angeles have apprehended a suspect believed to be connected to the tragic murder of Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, who was ambushed and fatally shot during a traffic stop. The heinous crime led to a substantial reward of $250,000 being offered for information that could aid in solving the case.
The incident unfolded on Saturday evening in the city of Palmdale, situated approximately 55 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, 30, was shot while sitting in his patrol car at a red light just outside a sheriff’s station.
In a press conference, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna announced that a 29-year-old man had been arrested early on Monday. The suspect had barricaded himself inside a residence in Palmdale for several hours before ultimately surrendering to authorities. Officials identified the arrested individual as Kevin Cataneo Salazar, a resident of Palmdale.
Sheriff Luna revealed that the motive behind the killing of Deputy Clinkunbroomer remains undetermined, characterising the situation as “fluid” and suggesting that more arrests could follow. “I feel extremely confident that we have the right person in custody,” Luna stated. “Our deputy was in uniform in a marked black-and-white police vehicle right in front of the station. Why did he do this? I have no idea. Was he targeted? I’m assuming he was, but… our intent is to find out.”
The suspect’s mother, Marle Salazar, informed the Los Angeles Times that her son had been diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic about five years ago. She expressed her belief that her son may not have been in his right mental state when the incident occurred, stating, “My son is mentally ill, and if he did something, he wasn’t in his full mental capacity.”
Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer had recently left the sheriff’s station in Palmdale when he was shot and killed. A passerby witnessed the incident and promptly alerted station personnel.
In an effort to gather more information about the incident, the department released grainy surveillance footage showing a dark sedan that had pulled alongside Deputy Clinkunbroomer’s patrol car just before the shooting occurred.
Early Monday, a SWAT team from the department’s Special Enforcement Bureau executed a search warrant at the suspect’s residence. They called upon all occupants to exit the premises, and while family members complied, the suspect barricaded himself inside. Negotiators employed de-escalation techniques before deploying chemical agents, ultimately leading to the suspect’s surrender.
Sheriff Luna did not specify the type of weapons that were seized during the operation.
