LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors filed murder charges Thursday against a California woman whose impaired driving led to a collision with a Metro bus, killing two riders, and a subsequent news helicopter crash that claimed three more lives.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated that Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, was driving under the influence of drugs when she veered into the wrong lane, ran a red light, and struck a vehicle before crashing into the bus on Tuesday. The impact resulted in the deaths of Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31, both of whom were passengers on the bus.
Rios faces two counts of second-degree murder and is being held on $4.1 million bail. She is scheduled to make her first court appearance Friday. Court records indicated no attorney has yet entered a appearance on her behalf, and the public defender’s office confirmed it has not been appointed to represent her.
The tragedy was compounded by the crash of a television news helicopter covering the aftermath of the bus collision. The aircraft went down in the Chatsworth neighborhood, killing pilot George Marciniw, reporter Eliana Moreno, and a man on the ground identified as Edy Gutierrez Mejia. At least four cars and two storage containers caught fire following the impact.
Surveillance footage obtained by NBC4 Los Angeles captured the helicopter descending at a diagonal angle before crashing behind trees. A large plume of black smoke and flames rose from the site moments later. Investigators suggested that significant clues regarding the cause of the helicopter crash may be found in the final seconds of video broadcast by the crew.
Hundreds of residents gathered Thursday evening for a candlelit vigil in Chatsworth to honor the victims of both incidents. Friends and family members brought photographs and joined in prayer.
Johaunna Castillo, the daughter of bus victim Daniel Castillo, described her father as a hardworking man who enjoyed people-watching from his favorite seat on the bus during his daily commute home from a car parts warehouse. She noted that he called her every day after work, but that call never came on Tuesday.
“He was a bright and lively person who touched anyone he interacted with,” Castillo said. “That’s who he was and that’s how he should be remembered — someone who brought a lot of joy and love into people’s lives.”
More than $2,000 has been donated to an online fundraiser established to cover funeral expenses. Rios’s mother, Cindy Rios, expressed shock and sadness at the events but stated she had not spoken to her daughter since the arrest and had not been contacted by law enforcement.
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