The 22-year-old driver who crashed into 25 Los Angeles County Sheriff’s recruits last week denied authorities’ claims that investigators had enough evidence to prove the incident was a deliberate act.

Nicholas Gutierrez was held on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer on a $2 million bond for driving his Honda CR-V into 25 cadets about 20 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 16. around 6:30 a.m. during a training exercise with about 75 recruits from the Sheriff’s Department and several local police agencies.

The horrific crash left more than a dozen cadets injured and at least five in critical condition.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said they later provisionally released Gutierrez because the initial complaint was not enough to hold him in custody.

In an interview with NBC, Guiterrez refuted claims made by Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who said investigators had enough evidence to conclude that the crash was intentional.

“I didn’t intentionally do it,” Gutierrez said, adding that he fell asleep on his way to work.

Gutierrez said he fell asleep at the wheel and woke up to the sound of recruits banging on the windows.

“I wish it never happened,” he added. “I feel bad it happened.”

In the interview, Gutierrez had injuries to his face that were suffered at the scene, which he claimed were sustained when the sheriff’s “dragged” him out of the car when he woke up from the impact.

The sheriff’s department declined to comment or elaborate.

The recruits were part of a 22-week program with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s S.T.A.R.S. Explorer Training Academy in South Whittier, California. At the time of the crash, the cadets ran in four rows while drill instructors and two black-and-white radio cars accompanied them.

According to Villanueva, seven recruits remain in the hospital, with two in critical condition and multiple leg fractures. He said authorities’ biggest concern is one of the recruits is on life support and suffering from serious brain bleeding and swelling.

“They have a long road to recovery happen to them, and we’re just hoping and praying that they can pull through,” he told News Nation.

Villanueva said five recruits are still under observation, and the remaining 20 have been released to their families.

The suspect’s lawyer, Alexandra Kazarian, told The Los Angeles Times, Guiterrez fell asleep at the wheel while on his way to work, calling it a “tragic accident.”

Kazarian also denied the preliminary investigation from Villanueva, saying there is no evidence suggesting it was intentional.

“I have no idea why the sheriff said that,” Kazarian said.

Gutierrez’s attorney issued a statement Friday to NBC saying Gutierrez comes from a law enforcement family. According to the Los Angeles Times, his father is a retired corrections officer. His uncles work in the Los Angeles Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, and the Sheriff’s Department.

“Nicholas comes from a proud law enforcement family, and the injuries to these recruits is beyond heartbreaking,” attorney Alexandra Kazarian said. “The Gutierrez family appreciates the Sheriff’s Department taking the time to conduct a full and complete investigation. As many have asked, we want to emphasize that Nicholas was on his way to work and had no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of this tragic accident.”

Kazarian said Gutierrez “harbors absolutely no animosity toward law enforcement,” adding claims that her client was a disgruntled academy recruit or had any association with being a recruit were incorrect.

After a couple was brutally attacked following an Elton John concert in Los Angeles, authorities arrested an individual connected to the beating. 

The investigation is ongoing after a viral video was shared on social media showing the alarming occurrence that took place last week in the parking lot of the Dodger Stadium. 

The couple is in their 60s and their daughter, Nicole, spoke to Fox11 about the attack. 

“They were so excited to go have a random little date night, so they went to the Elton John concert,” Nicole said. “They had a really nice night and they wanted to beat the crowd so they left 10-15 minutes before the concert ended.”

“They were in their car exiting Dodger Stadium and traffic got crazy out there. People were walking around all the cars, so they were in line to exit. A group of people walked around their car and they both heard this loud bang and someone had hit my dad’s mirror on his Tahoe,” Nicole said.

Nicole explained that her father exited the car to find out what had happened. 

“He looked and he was thinking his mirror was hanging off, and he looked at the people and said, ‘Who hit my mirror,’ and this group of about six people turned around,” Nicole said. “A female was like ‘I did,’ and she was intoxicated and witnesses claim that she swung [at] my dad first and he went to block. The last thing he remembers is these three or four guys just started hitting him all at the same time.”

The man, identified as Jamie, told KABC-TV, “Next thing I know, big gorilla’s coming at me. This guy was wailing on me. I fought back but I don’t think I did anything.”

“They got me on the ground, next thing I know I see other legs. People pummeling me. My wife came, she said she was pulling people off of me,” he added.

Nicole’s mother got out of the car once she saw that her husband was being beat up by a group of men. 

“Her instinct was to get out and help him, and as my mom’s trying to pull men off of him, she was grabbed by the back of the head by a female in that group. Before she knew it, the gentleman in the black shirt, black backwards hat (as seen in the video), basically football tackles my mom and my mom just remembers flying and that’s it,” Nicole said. 

Witnesses said that Nicole’s mom smashed her head so badly on the ground that they heard her head make impact and everyone was sure she had cracked her skull. 

“I felt like I was rammed and thrown and my head hit the pavement, and so I blacked out,” Nicole’s mother told KCAL9. She added that no one had tried to help her husband as he lay on the ground passed out. 

“My mom blacked out and when she came to, she was looking around and no one was helping them and she looked and my dad was lifeless on the floor, blacked out as well,” she said.

One person was helping her parents, but the man had also been recording the incident on his phone. When the assailants realized he was recording, they attacked him, as well, and broke his device. 

“As social media blew up, we were contacted today [by police] so we did give our part of the story so hopefully justice can be served and the legal system doesn’t fail us but already we’re being told LAPD is saying this started from a fender bender so from the get go, the story’s already wrong,” Nicole added.

The man is recovering from several injuries impacting his head, ankle, back, and one of his ears. The woman was able to go home from the hospital on the night of the attack, and both victims had broken bones and brain injuries.

Crime in Los Angeles has been an increasing problem and was a major factor in the Los Angeles mayoral race, prompting support for former Republican billionaire Rick Caruso, who was ultimately unsuccessful against Democratic Representative Karen Bass.

“The City of Los Angeles is home to entertainment of many kinds. It is always tragic when acts of violence stain the public’s feeling of safety in attending such events,” LAPD officer Rosario Cervantes said in a statement. “The Los Angeles Police Department is committed to restoring the public’s sense [of] safety and seeking justice in this instance and always.”