The man arrested for allegedly driving a vehicle into a group of law enforcement recruits in Whittier, California, was released from jail Thursday night, but the sheriff’s department insists they did nothing wrong.   

  Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez, 22, was released from custody at 9:49 p.m., according to jail records, citing an insufficient complaint.   

  Gutierrez is still considered a suspect in the case, and the decision to release him was made because investigators want more time to gather evidence to bring to the District Attorney’s office for charges, not because they believe a mistake was made, a County Sheriff’s Department spokesman said. of Los Angeles.   

  “It’s not like they arrested the wrong suspect,” Deputy Deanna Mares told CNN late Thursday night.  “They just want to make sure the investigation is completed.”   

  The Sheriff’s Department is usually required to present a case to the DA within 48 hours of a suspect’s arrest, and they weren’t ready to do so in Gutierrez’s case, Mares said.   

  Twenty-five recruits from multiple law enforcement agencies were injured Wednesday when a vehicle plowed into the group, an incident that Sheriff Alex Villanueva initially called a “horrific accident.”  That characterization changed dramatically Thursday morning when the department announced the arrest of Gutierrez on suspicion of attempted murder of peace officers.   

  The sheriff’s department initially said they intended to present the case to the DA’s office on Friday.  The department did not give a new timeline Thursday for the case to be presented.   

  CNN contacted Alexandra Kazarian, Gutierrez’s attorney, on Friday.  He told CNN affiliate KABC on Thursday, “I have no doubt that a thorough investigation will confirm that Nicholas is a hard-working young man who has no animosity toward law enforcement and this was an absolutely tragic accident.”   

  Gutierrez was booked into custody Wednesday afternoon, according to inmate records.  He was alone in the vehicle at the time of the crash, the sheriff’s department told CNN.   

  Five of the injured apprentices are listed in critical condition, authorities said.  Four other recruits suffered moderate injuries, while 16 others suffered minor injuries, the sheriff’s office said in an initial news release.   

  Gutierrez also suffered minor injuries, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Sheila Kelliher said.  All were taken to local hospitals and there are no updates on the condition of the injured.   

  The case remains under investigation and additional charges are pending, the sheriff’s office said.  CNN has reached out to the DA’s office and the California Highway Patrol, which is leading the crash investigation, for more details.   

  Officials initially said the crash appeared to be “a freak accident,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said at a news conference Wednesday.   

  The wrong-way driver showed no signs of impairment, Villanueva said, and scored a zero on a Breathalyzer test administered at the scene.  There were no visible skid marks at the crash site, the sheriff said.   

  “It looked like a plane wreck – so many bodies scattered everywhere in different states of injury,” Villanueva said from the scene.  “It was quite traumatic for all the individuals.”   

  Kelliher initially said the recruits were all from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.  However, according to Villanueva, the injured included recruits from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, along with the Pasadena, Glendale and Bell police departments.  Recruits from the El Segundo and UCLA police departments were also present, but were not injured.   

  The 75 recruits, all wearing white T-shirts and green shorts, participated in what Capt. Ted McDonald of the sheriff’s department’s training office described as a “standard run” as part of the department’s 22-week training program.  They were escorted by two safety vehicles and were running on four lanes when they were hit, McDonald said.   

  The crash happened about 500 feet from a fire station, officials said.  The four most seriously injured patients were rushed to the hospital, Los Angeles Fire Chief Anthony Marone said, possibly saving their lives.   

  Kelliher said the incident was “hard to see because these young people are about to put themselves on the line in their careers.  And who knows that while you’re training to do that, you’re actually in danger.”