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PREVIOUS: Service held for fallen LASD recruit
PREVIOUS: Alejandro Martinez was killed by a wrong-way driver during a training session last year.
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 from his plea deal Friday.
What we know:
While Gutierrez had pleaded guilty last month, he withdrew that plea after Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Laura Walton indicated she planned to send him to jail for a year as part of his sentence.
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.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- LASD recruit dies months after being severely injured in wrong-way crash: ‘He will forever live in our hearts’
- Suspect in deadly LASD recruit crash at Whittier training center pleads not guilty
- California wrong-way driver crashes into 25 law enforcement recruits; 5 in critical condition
- California driver accused of hitting law enforcement recruits released from jail
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.
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Since the plea deal was withdrawn, the case will now move toward a trial.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: City News Service contributed to this report.