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This is the moment a suspect was arrested after Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer was killed in a “targeted” ambush in his patrol car just days after his engagement.
Kevin Salazar, 29, was arrested Monday morning at a Palmdale home after an hours-long standoff with police — just 36 hours after Clinkunbroomer, 30, was shot and killed while on duty.
The news comes after authorities offered a $250,000 reward for the search for a suspect and released grainy surveillance video of a dark-colored sedan that pulled up alongside the patrol car a few moments before the shooting.
Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news conference announcing the arrest that community leaders provided information that led them to the suspect and his vehicle.
Salazar refused to come out of the house for hours and only surrendered when police released chemical agents.
Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer had gotten engaged just four days before his murder. He was an eight-year veteran of the police force, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
Clinkunbroomer was found near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q in Palmdale
Luna said he believes the shooting was a “targeted attack,” but the motive, and whether Clinkunbroomer or the department in general was the target, remains unclear.
“Without warning, he was murdered while serving our community,” an emotional Luna said during a news conference Sunday. ‘Please I beg you. Someone has information. Do it right.
Luna said investigators believe the “vehicle of interest” was a gray Toyota Corolla manufactured between 2006 and 2012.
A vehicle matching the description “vehicle of interest” was towed from a Palmdale neighborhood Monday morning, according to local reports.
The video shows Clinkunbroomer’s patrol car stopping at a red light. A black sedan stops a few meters behind the car before moving to the driver’s side. After a moment, she walks away down the street as the patrol car moves forward slightly and stops.
Clinkunbroomer was found near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q in Palmdale by a person Luna identified as a “good Samaritan” who alerted personnel at the town sheriff’s station.
The deputy was taken to Antelope Valley Medical Center in Lancaster, where he was treated for a gunshot wound and ultimately died.
A vehicle matching the description “vehicle of interest” was towed from a Palmdale neighborhood Monday morning.
Authorities have offered a $250,000 reward for finding a suspect
Clinkunbroomer was a third-generation deputy whose father and grandfather also served on the force. He is photographed with his fiancée
“We are going to arrest the person who did this,” Luna said Saturday evening. “Because every resource the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has is coming at you.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom called the killing “horrific, unconscionable and shocking.” He ordered flags at the state capitol to be lowered to half-staff in Clinkunbroomer’s honor.
Clinkunbroomer, who transferred to the Palmdale station in July 2018, was a third-generation officer who followed his grandfather and father into the sheriff’s department, Luna said.
“In this time of mourning, we honor this legacy and send our deepest condolences to Deputy Clinkunbroomer’s fiancée, his loved ones and the men and women of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,” Newsom said in a press release on Sunday. “Congressman Clinkunbroomer’s dedication to community and country will never be forgotten.”
The sheriff said his department is working closely with officials in the city of Palmdale, located about 60 miles (98 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles.
“Palmdale loves the sheriff’s deputies, and the deputies take very good care of Palmdale and love our community in return,” Mayor Laura Bettencourt said during the news conference. “The person who did this is a coward. and they will be caught.
“This is sickening and heartbreaking news,” Republican Sen. Scott Wilk, who represents Palmdale, said Saturday evening on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
California Governor Gavin Newsom called the killing “horrific, unconscionable and shocking.”
Police cars block a street where a sheriff’s deputy was shot while in his patrol car in Palmdale, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Miguel Ruiz, center, and his wife Sara, seated, attend a vigil in Palmdale, Calif., for Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Clinkunbroomer at the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station on Sunday.
A vigil for Clinkunbroomer was planned for Sunday evening outside the Palmdale sheriff’s station.
Deputy Clinkunbroomer had eight years of law enforcement experience.
He transferred to the Palmdale station in July 2018 and had been a field training officer for just under two years, training and supervising officers.
Clinkunbroomer allegedly dropped off an intern at the train station before his murder.
Sheriff Luna said only “the best of the best” become field training officers. He called the killing “senseless” in a Facebook post.
“From everything I know about Ryan, people absolutely loved and adored him,” Luna wrote.
“Service flowed in his veins. He embodied the values of courage, altruism and was committed to justice.
Clinkunbroomer was a third-generation deputy whose father and grandfather also served on the force.
A passerby found him unconscious near the Palmdale sheriff’s station around 6 p.m. He was taken to hospital where he died from his injuries.
After Clinkunbroomer’s death, police and firefighters held a large procession for the fallen officer, stretching from Lancaster to the coroner’s office in Boyle Heights.
Colleagues and members of law enforcement also left messages in his honor.
In a Facebook post, the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station said they lost “one of their own” and that the deputy “excelled at everything he did.”
“He was very thorough in his investigations, genuinely cared about the community he served, and was always willing to help his partners whenever they needed it,” the post read.
“We are numbed by grief and eager to come to terms with the fact that he has left a very big void within our station family.
“Rest assured, our hero, our friend, we will take care of it from now on. »