The woman accused in connection with a deadly Los Angeles-area Metro bus collision was brought into a San Fernando courtroom on a gurney Thursday, but her arraignment did not proceed after she was deemed medically unable to appear. Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, of Simi Valley, remains in custody on $4.03 million bail, facing two counts of second-degree murder and related charges stemming from the September 15 crash that killed two bus passengers and injured six others.
The case has drawn national attention because the bus collision was followed roughly two hours later by the crash of a news helicopter that had been dispatched to cover the incident. That separate crash killed three people: pilot George Marciniw, reporter Eliana Moreno, and Edy Gutierrez Mejia, a man on the ground.
Authorities have not suggested that Rios caused the helicopter crash. The two events are being investigated separately, with the National Transportation Safety Board leading the aviation investigation and the Los Angeles Police Department handling the bus collision.
Bailee Rios Was Wheeled Into Court on a Gurney
Rios was scheduled to appear Thursday at Los Angeles County Superior Court in San Fernando for her arraignment. According to reporting from the scene, she was brought into the courtroom on a gurney due to an ongoing medical issue related to injuries she sustained in the crash.
She was not arraigned. Court proceedings were delayed, and the matter was rescheduled. Fox 11 Los Angeles reported that the arraignment was pushed to Friday due to a medical hold.
The Los Angeles County District Attorneyâs Office had announced the charges earlier Thursday. Rios was represented by counsel for the limited purpose of the medical determination, but no substantive plea was entered. Online court records did not list a retained attorney who could comment on her behalf, and the public defenderâs office said it had not been appointed.
Why Was Bailee Riosâ Arraignment Delayed?
The arraignment was postponed because Rios was medically unable to proceed. This is a procedural delay, not a dismissal. The criminal case against her remains active, and the charges are still pending.
A delayed arraignment does not affect the validity of the charges or the evidence in the case. It simply means the court determined that the defendant could not participate in the hearing at that time due to her physical condition. Rios was injured in the September 15 collision and was treated at a hospital before being booked into custody.
The arraignment has been rescheduled for Friday, September 18, according to multiple reports. If she is medically cleared, she is expected to enter a plea and the court will address bail and custody status.
What Charges Does Bailee Rios Face?
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges at a press conference on Thursday, September 17. Rios faces:
- Two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31
- One felony count of driving under the influence of a drug causing injury
- One misdemeanor count of reckless driving on a highway
The charges include allegations of causing great bodily injury.
Hochman said Rios was under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash and that narcotics were found in her vehicle. He described the substances as âhard drugs,â though he did not specify the exact type. Sources told Fox 11 that suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were recovered, but official laboratory testing is still underway.
If convicted as charged, Rios could face a maximum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole.
A criminal charge is an allegation. Bailee Rios is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
What Happened in the Metro Bus Collision?
The bus collision occurred on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, shortly after 5:00 p.m. at the intersection of Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Rios was driving a gray 2004 Ford Expedition southbound in the northbound lanes of De Soto Avenue when she ran a red light and nearly collided with an eastbound vehicle. She then struck the side of a Metro Line 166 bus in the 20900 block of Nordhoff Street.
The impact was severe. One passenger was fully ejected from the bus, and a second was partially ejected. Debris from the collision also damaged a blue 2024 Honda CR-V that was stopped at the intersection.
Two people were pronounced dead at the scene. Six others were transported to local hospitals, including one person who suffered serious injuries. Rios herself was injured and treated at a hospital before being taken into custody.
The Los Angeles Fire Department dispatched 56 firefighters to the scene. Specialized Urban Search and Rescue teams performed complex extrications, freeing multiple individuals trapped inside the bus and one victim pinned beneath the SUV.
Who Were the Victims of the Bus Crash?
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified the two people killed in the bus collision as:
- Daniel Castillo, 46, who died on the bus
- Gage Weida, 31, who died on the street nearby after apparently being thrown from the bus during the collision
Castilloâs daughter, Johaunna, told the Associated Press that her father was on his way home from his job at a car parts warehouse, riding the same bus he took every day. âThe back was his favorite seat,â she said. âHe liked people-watching.â She described him as a hard worker and a bright, lively person who brought joy to those around him.
The News Helicopter Crash That Followed
The second tragedy occurred approximately two hours after the bus collision. An NBC4 and Telemundo 52 news helicopter that had been providing aerial coverage of the bus crash scene went down near a storage facility in Chatsworth at approximately 6:55 p.m.
The helicopter, a Eurocopter AS350 operated by Angel City Air, crashed between two commercial buildings. At least four cars and two storage containers caught fire after the impact.
Three people were killed:
- George Marciniw, 70, the pilot
- Eliana Moreno, 38, a reporter for NBC4 and Telemundo 52
- Edy Gutierrez Mejia, 29, a man on the ground who was from Guatemala
Marciniw was an experienced pilot who had logged more than 14,000 hours in the helicopter. Moreno was a familiar voice in Southern California aerial news coverage. Gutierrez Mejia had reportedly arrived in Los Angeles the same day to meet a cousin and transport vehicles back to Guatemala.
Newz18 emphasizes that the helicopter crash is a separate event from the bus collision. There is no evidence that Bailee Rios caused or contributed to the helicopter crash. The helicopter was covering the bus collision when it went down for reasons that remain under investigation.
How the Helicopter Crash Is Being Investigated
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the helicopter crash. NTSB investigator Fabian Salazar said Wednesday that video from the helicopterâs final moments is âprobably the most important evidence that we have discovered so far.â
In the broadcast footage, an alarm can be heard inside the cockpit as the helicopter loses altitude. A womanâs voice is heard saying âuh oh,â followed by âYou canât pull up?â before the video cuts out.
Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti told the Associated Press that the alarm suggests a potential loss of engine power and a dangerous decrease in main rotor speed. He said the pilot appeared to be attempting an emergency maneuver to use the wind to force the rotor to spin again.
The NTSB has not determined a probable cause. The investigation could take more than a year to complete.
What Authorities Say About the Bus Crash
District Attorney Hochman was direct in his assessment of the bus collision. âMiss Rios did not have to get behind the wheel while impaired,â he said at Thursdayâs press conference. âShe did not have to drive on the other side of the road. She did not have to blow through the red light at full force and drive her SUV right into a Metro bus. That was all preventable.â
Hochman said Rios was driving âwell beyond the speed limitâ when she entered the opposing lane because traffic was stopped for the red light. âAt full force, she plunged into that Metro bus, killing two individuals,â he said. âThat was a choice by her to do what she did. And that choice has resulted in deadly and destructive consequences.â
According to jail records, Rios was arrested Tuesday night by LAPDâs Valley Traffic Division and booked on suspicion of murder with bail set at $4.03 million.
The Legal Case Against Bailee Rios
The case against Rios is in its earliest stages. She has been charged but not arraigned. No plea has been entered. She is presumed innocent.
The district attorneyâs decision to charge second-degree murderârather than vehicular manslaughterâindicates prosecutors believe the evidence supports a theory of implied malice. In California, second-degree murder can be charged in DUI cases when prosecutors allege the defendant was aware of the risk their actions posed to human life and acted with conscious disregard for that risk.
Hochmanâs office filed the charges Thursday afternoon. The complaint includes two murder counts, a felony DUI count, and a misdemeanor reckless driving count, along with bodily injury allegations.
What Happens Next in Court?
Rios is scheduled to appear for arraignment on Friday, September 18, at Los Angeles County Superior Court in San Fernando. If she is medically cleared, she will be formally presented with the charges and asked to enter a plea.
The court will also address bail and custody status at that time. A preliminary hearing would be scheduled if the case proceeds past arraignment.
If Rios is unable to appear again due to medical reasons, the arraignment may be delayed further.
What We Know and What Remains Unclear
What is confirmed: Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, felony DUI causing injury, and misdemeanor reckless driving in connection with the September 15 Metro bus collision in Chatsworth. She was brought to court on a gurney on September 17, but her arraignment was delayed due to a medical issue. Two people died in the bus crash: Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31. Six others were injured. A separate news helicopter crash later the same day killed three people: pilot George Marciniw, reporter Eliana Moreno, and Edy Gutierrez Mejia. The NTSB is investigating the helicopter crash. Hochman said Rios was under the influence of drugs at the time of the bus collision.
What remains under investigation: The exact type of drugs found in Riosâs system is pending laboratory analysis. The cause of the helicopter crash has not been determined. Whether the helicopter crash and bus collision have any connection beyond proximity and timing is not established. No attorney has been listed for Rios. The full crash sequence is still being reconstructed by investigators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Bailee Rios?
Bailee Lynn Rios is a 36-year-old resident of Simi Valley, California. She has been charged with second-degree murder and driving under the influence in connection with a September 15, 2026, Metro bus collision in Chatsworth that killed two people.
Why was Bailee Rios in court?
Rios was scheduled for arraignment on the criminal charges filed against her by the Los Angeles County District Attorneyâs Office. She was brought to court on a gurney but was medically unable to proceed.
Was Bailee Rios arraigned?
No. Her arraignment was delayed because she was medically unable to appear. It has been rescheduled for Friday, September 18.
Why was her court appearance delayed?
The court determined she was medically unable to proceed. Rios was injured in the September 15 crash and received hospital treatment before being booked into custody.
What charges does Bailee Rios face?
She faces two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Daniel Castillo and Gage Weida, one felony count of driving under the influence of a drug causing injury, and one misdemeanor count of reckless driving. The charges include great bodily injury allegations.
What happened in the Los Angeles bus crash?
According to police, Rios drove a Ford Expedition the wrong way on De Soto Avenue, ran a red light, and struck the side of a Metro Line 166 bus at approximately 5:00 p.m. on September 15. Two passengers were killed and six others were injured.
Did Bailee Rios cause the news helicopter crash?
No. The bus collision and helicopter crash are separate events. The helicopter was covering the bus crash scene when it went down approximately two hours later. There is no evidence that Rios caused the helicopter crash, and she has not been charged in connection with it.
How many people died in the bus crash?
Two people died: Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31.
How many people died in the helicopter crash?
Three people died: pilot George Marciniw, reporter Eliana Moreno, and Edy Gutierrez Mejia, who was on the ground.
Is the helicopter crash still under investigation?
Yes. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation. A probable cause has not been determined, and the investigation could take more than a year.
What happens next in Bailee Riosâ case?
Her arraignment is scheduled for Friday, September 18, in San Fernando. If she is medically cleared, she will enter a plea and the court will address bail. A preliminary hearing would follow if the case proceeds.