Man arrested after car hits sheriff's recruits in South Whittier - Los Angeles Times

A 22-year-old Diamond Bar antheral has been arrested connected suspicion of attempted execution connected bid officers aft a clang this week that injured much than 2 twelve Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recruits during a grooming tally successful South Whittier, authorities said Thursday.

The man, Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez, was arrested Wednesday, hours aft the aboriginal greeting crash, authorities said. His bail was acceptable astatine $2 million, according to the sheriff’s department.

Twenty-five sheriff’s recruits were injured successful the crash, including 2 who remained successful captious information connected Thursday, authorities said. A full of 7 cadets stay successful the hospital.

The recruits were moving successful 4 columns and were joined by drill instructors and 2 black-and-white vigor cars astatine the clip the clang occurred astir 6:30 a.m. Wednesday adjacent the sheriff’s STARS Center Academy successful the 10600 artifact of Mills Avenue, authorities said.

As the recruits ran northbound down Mills Avenue, a Honda CRV approached astatine 30 to 40 mph, according to witnesses. The conveyance veered onto the incorrect broadside of the roadworthy and plowed into the group.

Those runners astatine the beforehand of the file were capable to get retired of the mode earlier the conveyance deed others and crashed into a airy pole, authorities said. Video changeable by a antheral who lives crossed the street from the clang showed recruits desperately trying to assistance those who appeared to beryllium astir earnestly injured.

One witnesser said “it looked similar an airplane wreck,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva said astatine a quality league Wednesday.

“There was truthful galore bodies scattered everyplace successful antithetic states of wounded that it was beauteous traumatic for each individuals involved,” helium said. He called the injuries, which included caput trauma and mislaid limbs, “life-altering.” More than a twelve others suffered insignificant to mean injuries.

Gutierrez was detained astatine the country by cadets. He sustained insignificant injuries and was taken to a hospital, authorities said.

Family members of the operator of the conveyance that plowed into Sheriff’s cadets connected Wednesday greeting successful Whittier basal adjacent the country of the accident.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

A breathalyzer trial was administered astatine the country and authorities recovered nary grounds of alcohol, Villanueva said.

Authorities detected nary odor of intoxicant connected the suspect, and helium “blew a 0.0" during a breathalyzer trial administered astatine the scene, Villanueva said.

The apprehension came hours aft authorities searched the suspect’s family’s location connected Wednesday night. News video showed deputies banging connected the doorway astatine the location successful Diamond Bar. A tactical squad with guns drawn was besides present.

Authorities made introduction aft escorting 2 women retired of the home. The video showed authorities spent immoderate clip inside, but they did not look to region thing disposable from the home.

The recruits were members of the STARS Center Academy successful South Whittier. Deputy recruits enactment successful a 22-week grooming program. They implicit extended grooming connected firearms, law, constabulary procedures, self-defense, instrumentality enforcement driving, carnal fittingness and unit de-escalation.

Academy Class 464 was successful its eighth week.

Times unit writer Noah Goldberg contributed to this report.