City Attorney to be arraigned

By Neil Nisperos

Staff Writer

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has charged the city attorney of Chino and Rialto with two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Jimmy Gutierrez is expected to be arraigned at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the Los Angeles Superior Court in West Covina.

Gutierrez may elect to have an attorney appear for him in court since the charges are misdemeanors.

A vehicle driven by Gutierrez was driving Oct. 23 on the 60 Freeway in Industry when California Highway Patrol officers from the Santa Fe Springs station stopped it for swerving. The officers asked Gutierrez to take a sobriety test, but he elected to provide a blood sample at a hospital. 

Gutierrez said he had consumed a few glasses of wine with dinner.

He was booked at 3:30 a.m. at the sheriff's substation in Industry. He was released from custody at 1 p.m. Oct. 24, according to the county Sheriff's Department and the California Highway Patrol.

Gutierrez said he regretted his actions and took "full responsibility for my actions on that evening."

"I blame no one but myself, and I will accept the consequences given to me by the justice system," he said this past fall. "I would like it to serve as a reminder that as adults we must be mindful of our public activities that involve the consumption of wine or alcoholic beverages."

After his arrest, Gutierrez said he contacted Chino Mayor Dennis Yates and Rialto Mayor Grace Vargas to inform them of the incident.

Yates said his council will await the outcome of the arraignment, before considering further action.

"We're still in limbo and we're looking to see whether indeed he was over the limit," Yates said. "The council will look at just exactly what the consequences he will suffer, if he was indeed found over the limit and we'll look at whatever they make him do, whether it's going to alcohol school or applying a fine. It's a little premature for us to comment until we learn what happens."

Rialto Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott said the incident did not affect Gutierrez's performance.

"As long as he continues to do his job, I will support him in his job," Scott said. "If at some point he continues to exhibit poor judgement, then I might want to take a different look at it. Everyone makes poor judgement. He stepped forward with this. Thank God nobody was injured as a result."