MURRIETA, CA – On Saturday, June 6, 2026, at approximately 11:30 p.m., Murrieta Police Department patrol officers responded to a Flock Safety alert regarding a suspicious vehicle in the Walmart parking lot at 41200 Murrieta Hot Springs Road.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as 28-year-old Dino Groffo, was linked to a felony assault on an Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy and was wanted on multiple felony warrants.
When officers approached the vehicle, Groffo exited the parking lot at a high rate of speed. Officers initiated a vehicle pursuit after the driver failed to stop for activated emergency lights and sirens. The pursuit ended near Hayes Avenue and De Luz Road when Groffo lost control of the vehicle and struck a dirt embankment.
Following the collision, Groffo fled the vehicle on foot into thick brush. Officers established a perimeter and conducted a search with assistance from the Riverside County Sheriff’s K-9 teams and the Murrieta Police Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Team.
Groffo was located and arrested without incident. He was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center on charges including felony evading, resisting arrest, probation violation, and felony warrants. No injuries to law enforcement personnel were reported.
