Man deliberately hit LA sheriff's recruits with his SUV: Villanueva - USA TODAY

The operator of an SUV who hit 25 Los Angeles County sheriff's and constabulary recruits, 5 of whom were critically injured, Wednesday was arrested connected attempted execution charges, authorities said. 

Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez, a 22-year-old Diamond Bar resident, was charged with attempted execution of a bid serviceman with further charges pending, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said successful a statement. 

Investigators “have developed probable origin to judge it was intentional,” Los Angeles County Sheriff  Alex Villanueva said successful an interrogation with NewsNation on Thursday.

Villanueva told the quality presumption that the section went done "an exhaustive interrogation process" with each members progressive successful the case, including video surveillance, statements from the recruits, carnal evidence, and accusation from Gutierrez.

Investigators "were capable to signifier the sentiment this was a deliberate act," Villanueva told the quality station.

Authorities did not springiness an update connected the victims of the Wednesday greeting clang successful Whittier. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said successful a Wednesday press league 1 of the 5 critically injured was connected a ventilator. Some of the astir terrible injuries included caput trauma, breached bones and nonaccomplishment of limbs, helium added. 

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Before Gutierrez's arrest, Villanueva said the a tract sobriety trial was done connected the scene, but results showed the operator was not intoxicated.

Gutierrez's SUV was traveling successful the southbound lane earlier crossing into a northbound lane and hitting the recruits. The radical of 75 recruits was made of radical from Los Angeles County Sheriff's and section constabulary departments.

The mishap happened astir 6:30 a.m., aft sunrise. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department grooming bureau Capt. Pat MacDonald antecedently said 2 achromatic and achromatic vigor cars were serving arsenic information vehicles for the group, and 8 roadworthy guards wearing reflective vests were present. Some recruits told responding authorities they estimated the conveyance was going astir 30 to 40 miles per hour. 

Citing the Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles Times reported that Gutierrez's bail was acceptable astatine $2 million.

Gutierrez is scheduled to look successful tribunal connected Friday, according to online records. It's not instantly known whether Gutierrez has an lawyer who tin talk connected his behalf.

Sheriff's authorities person not yet presented their lawsuit against Gutierrez to the Los Angeles County territory attorney's bureau for prosecution and said they expect to bash truthful connected Friday.

Ambrosio E. Rodriguez, a defence lawyer who antecedently worked arsenic a authoritative successful adjacent Riverside County, said to record an attempted execution complaint prosecutors would request to beryllium Gutierrez had an intent to kill.

“There is simply a precocious barroom to beryllium it, to amusement this feline was trying to termination these cadets,” helium told the Associated Press. He said grounds obtained from the conveyance could beryllium critical, adding that a cardinal question is whether the operator applied the brakes arsenic the conveyance moved toward the recruits.

“If helium is slamming connected the brakes and realizes helium is doing thing incorrect it is precise antithetic than if helium is pressing connected the gas,” helium said.

Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; Associated Press 

Follow Jordan Mendoza connected Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.