Angel City Air operated the helicopter, which was affiliated with NBC Los Angeles. <\/p>\n
The victims aboard the helicopter were identified as Eliana Moreno, a journalist familiar to viewers of the station and its Spanish-language sister station, Telemundo 52, and pilot George Marciniw. The pair began flying together in 2023.<\/p>\n
A pedestrian on the ground was also confirmed to have died at the scene, officials said. Authorities have yet to identify the individual. <\/p>\n
Zareh Sevanesian, who witnessed the crash, said the helicopter was swaying before it started losing altitude. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was just getting lower and lower and lower and lower,\u201d he said on NBC\u2019s \u201cTODAY\u201d show. <\/p>\n
Eliana Moreno <\/p>\n
Moreno, in her late 30s, was born in Orange County, south of L.A.<\/p>\n
She graduated from Chapman University in the area with a degree in broadcast journalism and political science in 2010, NBC Los Angeles reported. <\/p>\n
Moreno joined Angel City Air\u2019s helicopter team the same year and has reported for multiple Southern California news outlets.<\/p>\n
A seasoned aerial journalist who also reported in Spanish, Moreno was known on her official Instagram account as, \u201cEli in the heli,\u201d due to her work. There, she shared pictures of her chickens and pet dogs and a video of her engagement to fianc\u00e9e Robert Barrientos, in 2025. He did not immediately respond to NBC News\u2019s request for comment. The pair ran a half-marathon together in May, after which she wrote:<\/a> \u201cI surpassed everything I thought I could ever do so let\u2019s see what I do next!\u201d<\/p>\n Moreno also frequently shared multiple images of herself in the news chopper, covering stories on the go, with one caption reading, \u201cI have the best job in the world.\u201d <\/p>\n Veteran NBC4 Los Angeles anchor Colleen Williams paid tribute to \u201cdear colleagues\u201d while on air Tuesday evening. Visibly emotional, she told viewers: \u201cWe are coming on the air with heavy hearts tonight because we lost valued friends and colleagues … while on assignment tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, process it,\u201d she added, her voice shaking.<\/p>\n Lynette Romero, co-anchor of NBC L.A.\u2019s morning newscast, said they were \u201cheartbroken\u201d and are thinking of the families of Moreno and Marciniw. <\/p>\n \u201cThey were both doing what they loved so much, and for me, that\u2019s comfort in knowing how happy they were. They loved breaking news, and they loved being in News Chopper 4,\u201d she said Wednesday on NBC\u2019s \u201cTODAY\u201d show.<\/p>\n George Marciniw<\/p>\n Marciniw also grew up in southern California, where he graduated from Burbank High School in 1974, according to NBC L.A.<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789557058649_tdy_news_7a_patterson_helicopter_crash_260916_S3_1920x1080-vivypt.jpg\")
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