Following a seven-month investigation, a veteran San Diego police sergeant was jailed Wednesday on suspicion of stalking and harassing his ex-girlfriend.
Mariusz Czas, 42, was relieved of his police duties last June after the woman alleged that he had been harassing and abusing her, and until this month he had been working for the department in a desk assignment that required no contact with the public, according to SDPD Lt. Shawn Takeuchi.
“Over the course of seven months, investigators conducted numerous interviews, met with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office several times and executed a search warrant on Sgt. Czas’ residence,” Takeuchi said.
Following his arrest, the lawman — who was assigned to the SDPD Traffic Division when the allegations against him came to light — was suspended without pay, the lieutenant said.
A criminal complaint filed this week charges the 18-year member of the department with three felony counts — stalking, extortion and false imprisonment by violence, menace fraud, deceit — and five misdemeanors — two counts of making harassing phone calls and one count each of false imprisonment, disobeying a court order and destroying or concealing documentary evidence.
The complaint alleges the conduct occurred between April and July of last year.
Czas was booked into San Diego Central Jail late Wednesday morning. A District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman said late Wednesday that Czas posted $100,000 bail, and his arraignment is scheduled for June 22.
“(The) SDPD has zero tolerance for domestic abuse in any form,” Takeuchi said. “All of our personnel will continue to be held to a high standard that our community deserves.”
Updated at 6:19 p.m. Feb. 10, 2021
— City News Service
