LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County district attorney, Los Angeles police and Metro police are expected to speak Thursday after a deadly bus and helicopter crash earlier this week.
An SUV driver accused of crashing into the bus, 36-year-old Bailee Lynn Rios, has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
The crash set off a devastating chain of events: An NBC4 news helicopter covering it went down just hours later, killing three more people.
Rios was supposed to be arraigned Thursday morning, facing two counts of murder, but was a medical no-show.
Her first court appearance is now expected Friday.
Ventura County, California court records show Rios pleaded guilty to misdemeanor drug possession in 2016.
She was charged with drug possession again in 2022. That charge was dismissed, but she was convicted in that same case of driving with a suspended license.
A memorial is growing near the crash site.
For Daniel Castillo’s family, it’s the little things they’ll miss.
“We’re obviously very devastated and heartbroken by the loss of our dad,” daughter Johaunna Castillo said.
The dedicated Dodgers, Cowboys and Lakers fan would give anyone the shirt off his back, Castillo said.
“My dad was an amazing person. He had a way of bringing so much laughter and light into every single person’s lives,” Castillo said.
And Gage Weida’s family described him much the same way: kind, caring and selfless, with a “heart of gold.”
He was on his way to work when police say the SUV slammed into a Metro bus in the Chatsworth neighborhood Tuesday evening. The impact killed both him and Castillo.
Six others were injured in the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board Office of Highway of Safety is investigating.
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