The man who allegedly stole a box truck and led authorities on a multi-county pursuit on Wednesday faces six charges, including four felonies.
Armando Gutierrez, 48, faces felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon, evading an officer, unlawful taking of a vehicle and receiving stolen property, as well as misdemeanors of driving under the influence of any alcohol or drug and resisting arrest, according to a press release from Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko.
The El Monte resident also faces special allegations of having prior strike offenses and prior serious or violent felony convictions.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges on Friday.
On Wednesday, Gutierrez allegedly took a box truck in Los Angeles while the driver was making a delivery, then driving it along Pacific Coast Highway into Ventura County before coming back to the 101 Freeway through cities like Camarillo and Thousand Oaks.
That truck contained “thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise,” prosecutors said.
Police pursued an allegedly stolen box truck on March 6, 2024. (KTLA) 
An allegedly stolen box truck crashed in Ventura on March 6, 2024. (TNLA) 
Authorities engaged in a standoff with the driver of an allegedly stolen box truck on March 6, 2024. (TNLA) 
A CHP officers fires a non-lethal shot at the man accused of stealing a Lowe’s box truck. March 6, 2024. (TNLA) 
A CHP officers fires a non-lethal shot at the man accused of stealing a Lowe’s box truck. March 6, 2024. (TNLA) 
The driver of an allegedly stolen box truck was taken into custody on March 6, 2024. (TNLA)
“During the chase, Gutierrez is accused of intentionally ramming another truck. After exiting the freeway, Gutierrez continued to drive erratically, including driving in the opposite lane of traffic near Johnson Drive in Ventura,” the release said. “The pursuit came to an end when the truck drove off the road and into a grass embankment. Gutierrez exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot before being arrested by the California Highway Patrol.”
Gutierrez is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail at Ventura County Main Jail. He will next appear in Ventura County Superior Court on March 19.
