The jurors ruled that Kevin Eduardo Cataneo Salazar intentionally killed Clinkunbroomer, adding that the shooter knew and should have known the deputy was peace officer.
Salazar was charged in the Sept. 16, 2023, shooting of Clinkunbroomer, who was attacked in broad daylight while he was stopped at a red light near the Palmdale sheriff's station.
Opening statements begin in accused gunman's trial for ambush killing of deputy in Palmdale
The murder charge included the special circumstance allegations of murder of a peace officer, lying in wait and firing from a vehicle, along with allegations that he personally used and discharged a .22-caliber revolver.
Salazar was found guilty of each of the special circumstance allegations.
Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, said the evidence presented significant challenges for the defense.
"It's very difficult for the defense to prove that the defendant did not know this was a police officer," he said. "It was broad daylight. The victim was in his vehicle in a marked police car. There was some admissions after the fact that the defendant was looking for a police officer to shoot and was playing hype music."
The Palmdale resident previously entered a dual plea of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity in connection with the killing.
What happened in court?
Sheriff Robert Luna, District Attorney Nathan Hochman and members of Clinkunbroomer's family were in court Monday to hear the verdict.
During the trial's opening statements, Deputy District Attorney David Ayvazian and defense attorney George Rosenstock described Salazar's apparently irrational behavior on the day of the killing and two days earlier when he was "driving around confronting complete strangers," the defense lawyer said.
Rosenstock added that there was "no apparent reason for selecting Clinkunbroomer" for murder.
Ayvazian told jurors that following his arrest, Salazar told two undercover operatives in jail during a surreptitiously recorded conversation that he had wanted to kill a police officer for years and described following officers, parking and waiting and playing music to prepare himself.
Jurors are due back in court Wednesday for the next phase of the trial, when they will determine whether Salazar was sane or insane at the time of the crime.
The defense is expected to call three mental health professionals who examined Salazar after his arrest, as well as some of his family members.
Rahmani said the outcome of that phase could affect the defendant's future custody status.
"If the defendant is found to be sane, then he's going to spend the rest of his life in California state prison. There's three different special circumstances that carry the possibility of the death penalty, which of course hasn't happened in California in decades, and if not, carry mandatory life without the possibility of parole sentence. If the defendant is found insane, there's a possibility that he may be released to the public if a judge at some point finds that he's no longer a risk to himself or others."
In a statement, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said: "No verdict can undo that loss, but this conviction affirms that those who target our law enforcement officers will be held fully accountable."
Salazar could face life in prison if he is found sane. If he is determined to have been insane at the time of the killing, he would be confined to a state hospital rather than prison.
The sanity phase of the trial is expected to last three days. Luna said the department will forever honor the service, sacrifice and badge that Clinkunbroomer proudly wore.
City News Service contributed to this report.