Grafton man to serve two years for reckless endangerment, fleeing scene of Grand Forks crash

Sav Kelly, Grand Forks Herald
·1 min read

May 23—GRAND FORKS — A Grafton man changed his plea and was sentenced Thursday, May 23, to two years in prison.

Juan Carlos Gutierrez, 30, pleaded guilty to two Class C felonies, reckless endangerment-extreme indifference and fleeing a police officer. He also pleaded guilty to Class A misdemeanor drug paraphernalia possession and Class B misdemeanor leaving the scene of a crash that caused damage.

Gutierrez was arrested following a Dec. 19 pursuit

where law enforcement attempted to pull his vehicle over because the trunk was open, according to an affidavit filed in the case. His vehicle crashed on UND property and damaged a median. He then fled on foot, and a shelter-in-place order was issued

while law enforcement searched

for him.

When Gutierrez was apprehended, he told police he ran because of his outstanding warrants, the affidavit said.

Gutierrez was sentenced to five years at the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation with three suspended. He has credit for 157 days served. He will be on supervised probation for two years following release from custody.