A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a horrific Los Angeles bus crash killed two people — just hours before a news helicopter covering the wreck plunged to the ground, killing three more.
Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, was arrested after police say the SUV she was driving slammed into a Metro bus in Chatsworth on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
The violent collision killed bus passengers Gage Weida, 31, and Daniel Castillo, 46, and injured six other people. Rios was also hurt in the crash. Police later booked her on suspicion of murder, with bail set at $4 million.
According to authorities, Rios was driving a 2004 Ford Expedition when the SUV allegedly traveled the wrong way, ran a red light and crashed into the bus.
The impact was so severe that one passenger was fully ejected from the bus and another was partially thrown from the vehicle, police said.
A witness told ABC News that the SUV appeared to be traveling at “freeway speed” moments before the crash.
But the tragedy did not end there.
Roughly two hours later, an NBC4 and Telemundo 52 news helicopter that had been covering the deadly bus collision suddenly lost altitude and crashed in Chatsworth.
Aerial journalist Eliana Moreno, 38, and veteran pilot George Marciniw, 70, were killed aboard the helicopter. A third victim, 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, was killed on the ground.
The helicopter went down between commercial buildings and sparked a fire that damaged nearby vehicles and property.
Moreno had spent years covering breaking news from the air, including police pursuits, wildfires and major traffic incidents.
Marciniw was an experienced helicopter pilot who had logged thousands of flight hours and had worked alongside Moreno since 2023.
Disturbing footage recorded from the helicopter before the crash has become a key piece of evidence for federal investigators.
The National Transportation Safety Board said investigators are examining the video and audio from the final moments of the flight, along with the wreckage, maintenance records and witness accounts.
Senior NTSB investigator Fabian Salazar said sounds captured before the impact appeared consistent with changes in engine speed, but officials have not yet determined what caused the helicopter to go down.
The NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration are continuing to investigate.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the two crashes an “incredibly difficult” series of events and offered condolences to the victims’ families and the NBC4 news team.
NBC4 and Telemundo 52 also released a joint statement mourning Moreno, Marciniw and the pedestrian who died.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives,” the stations said.
In all, five people were killed in the two separate tragedies that unfolded within hours of each other in Chatsworth.
Rios remains under investigation in connection with the original bus crash. Prosecutors will ultimately determine which charges are formally filed.
