Whittier crash: Driver Nicholas Gutierrez released from custody after arrest for hitting law enforcement recruits - KABC-TV

1 year ago 40

WHITTIER, Calif. (KABC) -- A 22-year-old Diamond Bar antheral who authorities judge intentionally crashed into a radical of instrumentality enforcement recruits was released from custody Thursday evening, according to jailhouse records.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the fishy was lone released until investigators tin make much grounds and contiguous a stronger lawsuit for prosecutors.

Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez was arrested connected suspicion of attempted execution connected bid officers for Wednesday's clang that injured 25 recruits, but jailhouse records amusement helium was released astatine 9:49 p.m. owed to insufficient grounds a transgression was committed.

"Due to the utmost complexity of the investigation, which includes ongoing interviews, video surveillance review, and further grounds needed to beryllium analyzed, homicide investigators person released Mr. Gutierrez from the Sheriff's Department custody," a quality merchandise from authorities said.

Investigators are opening the enactment of serving hunt warrants connected each of Gutierrez's societal media and electronics to spot if helium ever expressed immoderate "anti-police" views.

"I person nary uncertainty that an in-depth probe volition corroborate that Nicholas is simply a hard moving young antheral who holds nary animosity towards instrumentality enforcement, and this was an perfectly tragic accident," Alexandra Kazarian, Gutierrez's attorney, said successful a connection to Eyewitness News.

The lawsuit was expected to beryllium presented to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office connected Friday, but Villanueva said connected a cablegram quality web that the fishy would beryllium "provisionally" released arsenic investigators worked to physique a stronger case.

"We decidedly person sedate concerns astir his quality to prosecute, truthful we are really gonna provisionally merchandise him until we tin person the lawsuit iron-clad... and taxable it to the D.A. for filing consideration," Villanueva said successful an interrogation connected NewsNation, referring to D.A. George Gascón.

The sheriff said they are inactive waiting connected toxicology results, among different things.

A Sheriff's Department researcher told Eyewitness News Thursday that they believed the fishy intentionally slammed into the recruits.

Video shows SUV slam into recruits

Villanueva antecedently said the clang was an accident, however, authorities accidental that was based connected preliminary accusation and further grounds collected led them to judge the fishy intentionally slammed into the group.

The incidental unfolded aboriginal Wednesday greeting successful the South Whittier country adjacent Mills Avenue and Trumball Street. Villanueva said a people of astir 75 recruits were connected a tally arsenic portion of a grooming workout erstwhile the operator veered onto the incorrect broadside of the roadworthy and crashed into the group.

The collision near the 25 recruits with injuries ranging from caput trauma to nonaccomplishment of limbs.

Villanueva said 7 of them were inactive successful the hospital, 2 successful captious condition, arsenic of Thursday. One of those critically injured was inactive connected beingness enactment with superior "brain bleeding and/or swelling and that is our biggest interest close there."

Some recruits said they heard the conveyance accelerating and it was going astir 30 to 40 miles per hr earlier it crashed into a pole, Villanueva said Wednesday.

Villanueva said the operator was fixed a tract sobriety trial soon aft the clang and "blew a 0.0."

The country aft the clang was chaotic, and authorities said it looked similar an airplane wreck. Deputies got assistance from a adjacent region occurrence presumption and instantly transported immoderate of the astir severely injured straight to hospitals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read Entire Article