A Los Angeles Police Department officer who pleaded no contest to an alleged road rage incident was sentenced to a combination of probation, community service and department counseling, according to officials at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
LAPD Officer Georgeta Buruiana, 40, of Saugus, entered a plea of no contest, which is treated the same as a guilty plea, to one misdemeanor count each of disturbing the peace and reckless driving. The third original count levied against her, felonious brandishing of a weapon or firearm, was dismissed by the district attorney’s office and her case was completed on June 4, according to court records.
Buruiana “was sentenced to one year of summary probation, 100 hours of community service, 12 sessions (of) anger management and 50 sessions of psych counseling through LAPD that included anger management,” said Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the DA’s office.
Officials from the Los Angeles Police Department were unable to comment as of the publication of this article as to whether Buruiana remained an employee of the LAPD, or if there had been any internal disciplinary action levied against her as a result of her plea.
Buruiana was arrested Dec. 14, 2019, after deputies responded at approximately 5:30 p.m. that same day to a report involving a motorist on Copperhill Drive brandishing a firearm at another motorist.
Deputies then caught up to the suspect’s vehicle near the intersection of Rye Canyon Road and Seco Canyon Road.
It was initially suspected — the incident was reported on a Saturday night — that the car itself was the weapon in the call until details of the arrest were released the following Monday. The charge description “brandish firearm replica at occupant of a vehicle” was originally listed on the arrest log entry for Buruiana, but also later corrected by SCV Sheriff’s Station officials.
“The victim claimed the suspect — a female adult — displayed a firearm in a threatening manner,” said Shirley Miller, then-spokeswoman for the station, that following Monday.
Buruiana, whose bail was set at $20,000, was released on bond four hours after her arrest.
