\n \u201cWe are going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, to process and to regroup,\u201d she said, before the station switched temporarily to other programming.\n <\/p>\n
\n The duo, Moreno and Marciniw, were employees of Angel City Air, the helicopter\u2019s operator, and had been flying together since 2023, according to NBC4. CNN has reached out to Angel City Air.\n <\/p>\n
![\"KNBC](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/eliana-and-i-wishing-everyo.JPG\")
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\n Moreno and Marciniw worked closely on stories over the years, with both sharing photos together, their social media accounts showed.\n <\/p>\n
\n While the cause of the crash is unknown, the National Transportation Safety Board is leading a probe into the wreck, with a preliminary report available in 30 days, followed by a final report detailing probable cause, which can take up to 18 months.\n <\/p>\n
\n Now, instead of celebrating their next chapters, loved ones of the three killed in the helicopter crash are grieving their loss.\n <\/p>\n
\n Here\u2019s what we know about the victims:\n <\/p>\n
\n Moreno \u201calways wanted to be a news reporter,\u201d her colleague, Lynette Romero, told NBC\u2019s \u201cToday<\/a>\u201d show Wednesday morning.\n <\/p>\n \n Born in Orange County, Moreno graduated from Chapman University in 2010 with a degree in broadcast journalism and political science, NBC4 reported. She joined Angel City Air<\/a> in September 2010 and since then had reported for several regional outlets.\n <\/p>\n \n In 2023, Moreno received an award<\/a> from the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California for \u201cBest TV Continuing Coverage.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Moreno came from a big family who was \u201cso proud of her for \u2026 being on the news in her hometown,\u201d Romero said.\n <\/p>\n \n Under the username eli_in_the_heli<\/a>, Moreno gave viewers an inside look into her reporting from the sky. She explained how she often operated the camera attached to the front of the helicopter while narrating from inside the aircraft as the pilot navigated through coverage of brush fires, shootings and other pursuits all over town.\n <\/p>\n \n Moreno, an animal-lover, had dogs and chickens, according to Romero. On her Instagram bio, she writes she is a dog and chicken mom, with the initials \u201cRB\u201d written next to an engagement ring and orange heart emoji. Her fiance\u2019s Instagram bio mirrors hers, with Moreno\u2019s name written next to a heart emoji.\n <\/p>\n \n Moreno\u2019s hobbies included line-dancing and running. In a May post, Moreno said she ran a half-marathon in under two hours with her fiance \u2014 despite having asthma. She posted photos of her and her fiance happily flaunting their medals after the race.\n <\/p>\n \n The couple seemingly got engaged on an October trip. Moreno shared a video of the trip, saying, \u201cI will remember this trip to Tennessee for the rest of my life.\u201d The song \u201cCounting My Blessings\u201d played in the background as Moreno showed off her ring alongside her fiance.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cShe was just such a light, such a spark plug,\u201d Romero said. \u201cShe\u2019s teeny-tiny but she had the biggest heart and enthusiasm, it was really contagious.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n In one moment that demonstrated Moreno\u2019s zeal for life, Romero recalled when her team had gone on a trip for a behind-the-scenes look at the chopper. Moreno was \u201cso proud\u201d to show them the aircraft and reveal how the machinery inside operated.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cShe knew exactly what she was doing. She knew how to express it to our viewers,\u201d Romero said.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cOur viewers are grieving, too. They lost somebody who they knew very intimately. When you have that voice of a news chopper reporter in your ear, it\u2019s a very intimate relationship, right? They\u2019re telling you exactly what they\u2019re seeing, and you can hear it in their voice,\u201d Romero added.\n <\/p>\n \n Along with having a voice that viewers instantly recognized, Moreno would easily switch between English and Spanish as she reported for NBC4 and Telemundo 52, Romero said.\n <\/p>\n \n Jonathan Gonzalez, co-anchor on NBC4, said Moreno was \u201cextraordinarily gifted.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Marciniw \u2013 who NBC4 says liked to be called \u201cJorge\u201d when on Telemundo \u2013 was a lifelong Angeleno, Romero said. Well-known and respected in the industry, Marciniw loved his job and working with Moreno, according to NBC4.\n <\/p>\n \n He had deep roots in Southern California, having grown up in Burbank. He was a 1974 graduate of Burbank High School, north of Los Angeles, NBC4 reported.\n <\/p>\n \n He came with a wealth of experience, too: Marciniw was a helicopter flight instructor for over 30 years and had flown 14,000 hours, according to his page on iFlightPlanner<\/a>. On his social media,<\/a> Marciniw frequently shared photos of stunning views from his mobile perch atop California, often mentioning Moreno.\n <\/p>\n \n Pilot Esteban Jimenez said Marciniw, his longtime friend, was nearing retirement and had spoken to him about his plans two days before the crash.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI knew him since the 90s. He was my instructor at one time, he was my eyes and ears here in L.A.,\u201d Jimenez told NBC4. \u201cI just cannot believe this.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n California state Sen. Caroline Menjivar paid tribute to Marciniw on Wednesday.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cOur hearts are with George\u2019s family, friends, and all those grieving this heartbreaking loss,\u201d she said.\n <\/p>\n \n Moreno and Marciniw\u2019s NBC4 team is heartbroken, Romero said.\n <\/p>\n \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 Romero said.\n <\/p>\n \n NBC4 and Telemundo 52 said in a joint statement they are \u201cdeeply saddened\u201d about the tragedy.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWe\u2019re going to miss them beyond words,\u201d Gonzalez said.\n <\/p>\n \n The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed the third victim was Mejia, a 29-year-old pedestrian who had been in a business parking lot when the plane plummeted. Mejia had just arrived in L.A. from Guatemala on Tuesday, N+ Univision Los Angeles reported<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n Mejia, known as \u201cPichi,\u201d is from the town of Cuilapa in southeastern Guatemala.\n <\/p>\n