Driver charged with "attempted murder" after injuring 25 police recruits in California

A driver was charged with "attempted murder" after he drove his car into a group of police recruits, which injured 25 of them in California Wednesday morning, authorities said on Thursday.

Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez, 22 years old, "was arrested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and charged with attempted murder on a peace officer(s), additional charges pending," said the department in a statement, adding that no bail has been granted at this time.

Gutierrez plowed his car into a class of 75 police recruits, who were running in formation as part of a training exercise in City of Whittier.

Five of the injured were in critical condition, four in moderate and stable condition and 16 sustained minor injuries, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva during a news conference Wednesday.

Authorities believed the driver "intentionally slammed into a group of law-enforcement recruits out," reported KABC-TV, the West Coast flagship station of the ABC television network on Thursday.

Officials said the young driver suffered minor injuries and was detained at the scene.