A man who repeatedly smashed his SUV into a sheriff’s patrol SUV in Bell Gardens just over 2 1/2 years ago pleaded no contest Tuesday to an assault charge.
Jesus Cerda, now 48, was sentenced to five years in state prison following his plea to one count of assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon or with force likely to cause great bodily injury, but was given credit for time he has already served behind bars, according to Deputy District Attorney Stephen Lonseth.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Taylor May positioned his patrol SUV at the northwest corner of Eastern and Florence avenues to stop Cerda’s white Chevrolet Trailblazer, which was doing “doughnuts” at about 4:30 a.m. June 22, 2023, and the front door of the driver’s side of the patrol vehicle was struck moments later by the Trailblazer, according to a report from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on a subsequent shooting that ensued.
“Cerda then reversed and accelerated towards the patrol vehicle, colliding with the front and rear driver’s side doors three additional times. The force of the collisions rendered the patrol vehicle inoperable,” according to the report, which concluded that “May acted lawfully in self-defense when he fired his service weapon.”
Cerda was struck in the left temple, shoulder and clavicle, with the deputy’s body-worn camera capturing the entirety of the encounter, according to the report.
“May fired his service weapon once after the second assault, however, Cerda failed to stop, and continued to accelerate into the patrol vehicle two additional times. Cerda ceased his assault only after May fired his service weapon repeatedly, striking Cerda,” according to the report.
An attempted murder charge against Cerda was dismissed as a result of his plea, according to the prosecutor.