Man accused of driving into L.A. sheriff’s recruits is released due to ‘extreme complexity of the investigation’
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A Southern California man arrested for allegedly driving his car into a group of law enforcement recruits was released Thursday night, as authorities say further investigation is needed.
Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez of Diamond Bar was arrested Wednesday afternoon by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and charged with attempted murder of a peace officer.
He was released just before 10 p.m. Thursday, the sheriff’s department said.
“Due to the extreme complexity of the investigation, which includes ongoing interviews, video surveillance review, and additional evidence needed to be analyzed, homicide investigators have released Mr. Gutierrez from the Sheriff’s Department custody today at approximately 9:55 PM,” the department said in a statement.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Thursday night that investigators “provided probable cause” to believe Guiterrez crashed into the cadets intentionally, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Authorities say the 22-year-old suspect drove his Honda CR-V into a group of recruits “during their run while training,” injuring 25 of them, including five critically. Two remained in critical condition as of Thursday afternoon.
According to the sheriff’s department, 75 recruits were on an early-morning routine run in the city of Whittier in Los Angeles County when the incident occurred.
With News Wire Services
