District Attorney Mike Hestrin announced on Wednesday that former Cathedral City Police Officer Claudiu Murzea is facing three additional charges related to incidents in Riverside County. Murzea, who was previously charged with possessing fentanyl taken as part of an investigation, now faces charges stemming from two separate incidents reported this week.
The new charges against Murzea stem from allegations on October 3, where he is accused of violating a standing protective order, and another incident on October 4, where he allegedly made threats and assaulted a woman. Murzea was apprehended by the Riverside Police Department’s Multi-Enforcement Tactical Response Operation (METRO) in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday and is currently in custody at the Robert Presley Detention Center. His bail has been set at $1 million.
This is not the first time that Murzea has faced legal trouble. In November 2022, he faced misdemeanor charges for destroying evidence and possessing a controlled substance. These charges are related to an incident in May when Murzea admitted to keeping fentanyl he discovered at a crime scene. Later that same day, he consumed the drug in an attempt to harm himself while at the police department’s gym. He was found unconscious by a coworker and was hospitalized. Following the incident, he was terminated from his position.
If convicted on all the new charges, Murzea could face up to three years in state prison, according to District Attorney Hestrin. Murzea was arraigned on the new charges at the Riverside Hall of Justice on October 6 and is scheduled to appear for a confirmation of counsel hearing at the Larson Justice Center on October 10.
