Man arrested for driving car into law enforcement recruits released due to lack of evidence

Authorities detained Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez, 22, on the scene and had held him without bail.

Published: November 18, 2022 9:11pm

Updated: November 18, 2022 9:25pm

A motorist who allegedly drove into a group of law enforcement trainees in Los Angeles on Wednesday, has been released due to lack of evidence.

An SUV was reportedly driving on the wrong side of the road when it hit 75 cadets from various law enforcement agencies who were out for a morning jog. The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed 25 injuries, five of whom were in critical condition. There were no fatalities, CBS News reported.

Authorities detained Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez, 22, on the scene and had held him without bail. He was detained on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer. However, they later released him due to "insufficient evidence." Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Gutierrez passed a breathalyzer test.

Villanueva told NewsNation that investigators had "developed probable cause to believe it was intentional," but did not release any information to back that assertion. The department said it could re-arrest Gutierrez and was continuing to investigate the incident.

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