LA County renames Castaic Sports Complex for slain Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer

Los Angeles County paid tribute on Friday to slain county sheriff’s Deputy Ryan M. Clinkunbroomer by renaming the Castaic Sports Complex in his honor.

“Deputy Clinkunbroomer embodied the very best of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,” county Supervisor Kathryn Barger said. “He was courageous and had a deep commitment to serving others. By renaming this sports complex in his honor, we are ensuring that his legacy lives on in a place that reflects who he was — a young man who loved his community and gave his life in service to others.

“As a county, we have a responsibility to honor and stand with the families who have sacrificed so much,” Barger said. “Ryan’s name will now be spoken every day by the athletes, children and families who gather here.”

Barger introduced a motion last year that was eventually approved by the county Board of Supervisors, authorizing the renaming.

Clinkunbroomer, an eight-year department veteran and fourth-generation member of the sheriff’s department, was fatally shot Sept. 16, 2023, while sitting in his patrol SUV at a red light near the sheriff’s Palmdale station.

The sports complex at 31230 Castaic Road covers more than 50 acres and includes amenities such as baseball diamonds, basketball courts, a gym, aquatics center, football/soccer fields, meeting rooms, a skate park, walking paths, picnic areas and horseshoe pits.

Clinkunbroome, 30, was the latest in a line of family members to serve in the sheriff’s department. His father, mother, grandfather and great-grandfather all worked for the agency.

Clinkunbroomer’s father, Mike, was among those attending a ceremony at the sports complex Friday to officially rename the facility.

“Today’s renaming of the Castaic Sports Complex honors Ryan’s life of service, his love for this community, and the selflessness and integrity he showed every day as a deputy,” he said. “We hope this lasting memorial will be a place where children and families make memories — just as Ryan did — and that it inspires others to serve their neighbors. I can hear him laughing now, saying we’ll need a bigger sign to fit his name, so let that smile come first, before the tear.”

Sheriff Robert Luna said Clinkunbroomer “served with honor and humility and was a cherished community member.”

“Our department stands with the Clinkunbroomer family today and always, and we will be honored to see Ryan’s name memorialized in the community he grew up in,” Luna said.

The Palmdale man accused of killing Clinkunbroomer in the ambush shooting, Kevin Eduardo Cataneo Salazar, is awaiting trial on a murder charge. He has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity. He allegedly told a sheriff’s investigator that he heard voices in his head, and his family said he suffers from paranoia and schizophrenia.