A 22-year old Diamond Bar man drove his car into a group Sheriff’s Department recruits while they were running. This caused 25 injuries, some of them very severe. According to NewsNation, Alex Villaneuva, LA County Sheriff, stated that the act was deliberate.
The investigators conducted an extensive interview with all the participants, including the video surveillance, statements from recruits, physical evidence, and the statements of the suspect. They were then able to form an opinion that this was a deliberate act.
Villaneuva had initially stated that the attack was a “horrible incident”. However, the announcement contradicts this statement. RedState’s Kira Davis describes the carnage as:
Seventy-five STAR Explore Training Academy recruits were jogging on Mills Avenue in South Whittier (just outside Los Angeles) when an SUV travelling the wrong direction slammed into them.
He added that some of the most serious injuries include head trauma, broken bones, and loss of limbs.
Villanueva stated that they are only dealing with serious injuries to some of the most seriously injured recruits.
Villanueva stated that no skid marks were discovered at the scene. He also said that witnesses claimed it “looked like an aircraft wreck.”
The terrible aftermath is shown in video from KTLA 5 local station. Warning: This video contains graphic images.
Seven recruits remain in hospital as of today’s writing. Five are under observation, two are in critical condition. The LA Times:
One had extensive leg fractures and required surgery.
Villanueva stated that Alejandro Martinez was the biggest concern. He sustained major injuries to his head as well as multiple fractures.
Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez was taken into custody at the scene of the morning accident and was officially arrested Wednesday afternoon under suspicion of attempted murder. His bail was set to $2 million. Although he passed the field sobriety exam, officers found marijuana in his vehicle.
This is him after the crash. He looks bizarrely calm and unconcerned by the chaos he just caused.
Gutierrez is still unknown, and no motive has been established. Authorities are still investigating:
News footage showed that Gutierrez’s family was searched Wednesday night by authorities. The footage shows that deputies knocked on the Diamond Bar house and that a tactical team with guns was present.
After escorting two women out, authorities gained entry. Although they spent time inside the house, no visible evidence was found.
Although we are not able to determine the motives for Gutierrez’s heinous act, it is hard not to recall the deaths of five Dallas police officers in the 2016 sniper attack. Also, Wednesday’s attempted murder occurred on the same day that Darrell Brooks was sentenced to six life sentences for first-degree intentional killing. Coincidence? The future will reveal.
