Man who plowed into jogging sheriff’s cadets enters not guilty plea

Josh DuBose
·2 min read
3

The 23-year-old man charged with plowing into a large group of jogging law enforcement cadets, killing one of them, in South Whittier in November 2022 has pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to an unsealed grand jury indictment released Tuesday.

Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez is charged in an 11-count indictment with killing L.A. County Sheriff’s recruit Alejandro Martinez-Inzunza and injuring nine other sheriff’s recruits, the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office announced in a release.

The Nov. 15, 2022 crash, which was captured on surveillance video, shows a vehicle swerve into the path of several dozen recruits who were on a training run in the area of Mills Avenue and Telegraph Road.

In total, 25 cadets were hurt, with nine of them suffering severe injuries.

Martinez-Inzunza, 23, a U.S. Army Veteran, succumbed to his injuries eight months after the crash.

  • LA recruits crash Whittier
    The scene of the crash where 25 cadets were injured in South Whittier on Nov. 16, 2022. (KTLA)
  • Multiple people were struck by a vehicle in South Whittier, California, on Wednesday morning. (KTLA)
    Multiple people were struck by a vehicle in South Whittier, California, on Wednesday morning. (KTLA)
  • The scene of the crash where 25 cadets were injured in South Whittier on Nov. 16, 2022. (Francisco Silva)
    The scene of the crash where 25 cadets were injured in South Whittier on Nov. 16, 2022. (Francisco Silva)
  • Alejandro Martinez was among multiple L.A. County Sheriff Deputy recruits were struck by a vehicle in South Whittier, California, on Nov. 16, 2022. (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department)
    Alejandro Martinez was among multiple L.A. County Sheriff Deputy recruits were struck by a vehicle in South Whittier, California, on Nov. 16, 2022. (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)

“More than a year later, we are still grappling with the profound loss of a promising sheriff’s deputy recruit, Alejandro Martinez-Inzunza, and the other recruits who were seriously injured as a result of this tragic incident,” District Attorney George Gascón said. “Today’s indictment is a significant step forward in the progress of this case. My office’s Crimes Against Peace Officers Division is working tirelessly to ensure that the victims and their families receive the justice they deserve.”

The indictment by the L.A. County Criminal Grand Jury charges Gutierrez with “vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and nine counts of reckless driving on a highway causing a specified injury,” the release stated.

If convicted, the 23-year-old could face up to 12 years in prison.

Gutierrez is currently out on $500,000 bail and is scheduled to appear for a pre-trial conference at the Norwalk Courthouse on Feb. 9.

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