A Diamond Bar man who previously pleaded guilty to driving into a group of law enforcement trainees near Whittier, killing a Los Angeles County sheriff’s recruit, withdrew from the plea deal today after a judge indicated she planned to send him to jail for a year as part of his sentence.
Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez, 25, pleaded guilty last month to one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and nine felony counts of reckless driving causing injury, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Under the plea deal, he was expected to receive five years probation and a suspended eight-year state prison term that he would only face if he violated any of the terms of his probation. In court Friday, however, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Laura Walton said she planned to add a 365-day jail term to his sentence. Gutierrez’s attorneys said they could not accept that condition, and withdrew from the plea deal, meaning the case will now move toward trial…