Diamond Bar man withdraws guilty plea in deadly LASD recruit crash
Driver who plowed into LASD recruits withdraws guilty plea
Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez, the man charged with vehicular manslaughter and other counts after allegedly ramming his vehicle into a group of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recruits on a training run in November 2022, withdrew from his plea deal Friday.
NORWALK, Calif. - Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez, the man charged with vehicular manslaughter and other counts after allegedly ramming his vehicle into a group of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recruits on a training run in November 2022, withdrew his plea Friday after a judge indicated she planned to send him to jail for a year as part of his sentence.
What we know:
Gutierrez had pleaded guilty last month.
Under the original deal, Gutierrez was expected to receive five years of probation and a suspended eight-year state prison term.
When the judge added the 365-day jail term, his attorneys said they could not accept that condition. His legal team also stated in court that Gutierrez suffers from a neurological disorder.
"We cannot accept the court's offer and will proceed to trial," she said on behalf of her client.
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Deputy District Attorney Michael Blake told the judge that the prosecution wants its own expert to review the defense's claim.
The backstory:
The charges stem from a Nov. 16, 2022, crash where 76 recruits were on a training run in Whittier.
Officials said 25 recruits were injured, and one of them, Alejandro Martinez-Inzunza, died from his injuries in July 2023.
Investigators found no evidence the crash was intentional and determined that Gutierrez likely fell asleep at the wheel before drifting into the group.
Gutierrez was initially arrested hours after the crash, but was released a day later, with sheriff's officials saying the complex case needed more extensive investigation. He was re-arrested in November 2023 by the California Highway Patrol and released on $500,000 bond within less than two hours.
What they're saying:
Martinez-Inzunza's mother said through a Spanish interpreter, "This pain from losing my son will not go away. I suffer every day."
"It's not fair, your honor, for that person to be free," she said of Gutierrez. "I want justice. I want him to pay."
The judge told the woman that she cannot even imagine the pain that her family is experiencing, and that there is "no amount of time that I can give him" that would take away the family's pain.
"I am so, so sorry for your loss," Walton said. "This is one of those days that justice does not feel just, ma'am."
Martinez-Inzunza's sister said she was in court to be the "voice of my brother ... the only one who lost his life," while noting that the crash permanently changed the lives of many others.
"He spent nine months in the ICU fighting for his life," Dayanna Martinez told the judge. "This was an avoidable accident."
Of the defendant, she said, "After today, He gets to go on with his life. I don't think that's fair."
The judge also heard from seven of the injured recruits and some of their family members.
Lauren Preciado said she was severely injured in the crash, "spent four months trapped in a hospital bed" and has been forced to accept that she will never wear a sheriff's uniform.
"This is all because of you, Nicholas," she told the defendant, adding that she was expected to accept a probationary sentence for Gutierrez when it was a "life sentence for me."
She said she hoped that he would have to spend some time behind bars or sit through a trial.
Timeline:
The legal case has faced several turns over the last few years:
- Nov. 2022: Gutierrez was arrested hours after the crash but released the next day.
- July 2023: Recruit Alejandro Martinez-Inzunza died from his injuries.
- Nov. 2023: Gutierrez was re-arrested by the California Highway Patrol and released on a $500,000 bond.
- Jan. 2024: Gutierrez pleaded not guilty to a new indictment and waived his right to a jury trial.
- April 2026: He changed his plea to guilty for one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and nine felony counts of reckless driving causing injury.
What's next:
Since the plea deal was withdrawn, the case will now move toward a trial.
Gutierrez is due back in court Aug. 26 for a pretrial hearing.
The Source: This report is based on courtroom proceedings and statements made during a Friday hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The information includes direct testimony from victims and their families, as well as legal arguments provided by the District Attorney’s Office and the defense counsel for Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez. City News Service contributed.