Drunk Driver Arrested Following Crash and False Report

On Monday, September 1, 2025, at 4:55 am, Turlock Police responded to an auto theft at N Berkeley Ave and Kenneth Dr.

The caller reported that his vehicle had been stolen from the intersection within the last hour, after he had left his keys in it. Despite this, he sounded drunk and was pinging in the 500 block of S Center St. When confronted, the caller stated that he was getting a ride to his residence in the 1000 block of Ryker Ct.

Simultaneously, a similar vehicle was then reported to have been involved in a collision in the 500 block of S Golden State Blvd. When officers arrived on scene, they found that the allegedly stolen vehicle had crashed into a pole and was unoccupied, although open alcohol containers had been left behind. The vehicle was towed.

Officer Rocha then contacted the initial caller, Ismael Gutierrez, 33, of Turlock, at his residence. Gutierrez had a freshly busted lip and displayed objective symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol. He wanted to move forward with reporting the vehicle stolen and signed the paperwork for it.

Gutierrez then provided a story that didn’t make sense, and was unable to provide proof of it. After being confronted, Gutierrez admitted to driving, crashing, and fleeing the scene.

Based on the totality of the circumstances, Officer Rocha determined Gutierrez was under the influence of alcohol and arrested him.

Gutierrez was issued a driver’s license suspension order, provided two breath samples at the scene, and was medically cleared at Doctors Medical Center.

Gutierrez was then booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or greater, failure to stop at the scene of an accident, and filing a false police report.