In a surprising turn of events, the man accused of murdering a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The incident took place in Palmdale, a city in northern Los Angeles County, where Kevin Cataneo Salazar shot and killed Deputy Clinkunbroomer, who was sitting in his patrol car. Cataneo Salazar, a 29-year-old, has been charged with one count of murder with special circumstances. During his arraignment, his attorney, George Rosenstock, pleaded not guilty on his behalf, along with a dual plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, as reported by the AP.
Following an intense standoff with sheriff’s deputies, Cataneo Salazar was arrested at his family’s Palmdale home on Monday. He has been detained without bail and is expected to appear in court again in November. The motive behind the attack has not been revealed by prosecutors, nor has it been confirmed whether Clinkunbroomer and Cataneo Salazar were acquainted prior to the incident. Marle Salazar, the suspect’s mother, informed the Los Angeles Times that her son was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia about five years ago. She attested that he frequently claimed to hear voices in his head and believed he was being followed by cars and people. Salazar further revealed that her son had attempted suicide twice in the past.
“My son is mentally ill, and if he did something, he wasn’t in his full mental capacity,” Salazar said. She also disclosed that she was unaware of her son’s ownership of a gun but was informed by detectives that he had legally purchased the weapon used in the attack. However, it remains unclear when he obtained the firearm. Salazar revealed that her son had been hospitalized over the past year, but it is uncertain whether he sought treatment voluntarily or was involuntarily committed. She mentioned reaching out to deputies on multiple occasions when her son refused to take his medication and exhibited aggressive behavior towards himself. She emphasized that he had never harmed anyone before, and his aggression was always self-directed.
(Read more Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stories.)
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