Mayor Karen Bass joined grieving relatives at a Chatsworth church Thursday night to mourn five people killed in two separate Southern California transportation disasters.
The candlelit vigil at St. John Eudes Catholic Parish drew family, friends and public officials honoring victims of a helicopter crash and a Metro bus collision that both occurred Tuesday. Those remembered included NBC reporter Eliana Moreno, 38; pilot George Marciniw; pedestrian Edy Gutierrez Mejia, 29; bus passenger Daniel Castillo, 46; and fellow passenger Gage Weida, 31.
“There is such profound grief that comes with unexpectedly losing someone you love,” Bass said at the vigil. “I want to take a moment and recognize the important role of journalists and first responders who are on the front lines of traumatic incidents like this all the time.”
Los Angeles City Councilmember John Lee, whose district includes Chatsworth, also addressed the crowd.
“Tonight we remember them not simply as victims, but as people deeply loved, who had family members, friends, colleagues and neighbors,” Lee said.
Moreno and Marciniw had been flying to cover the bus crash when their News Chopper4 aircraft went down. The helicopter appeared to suffer engine failure in what experts have speculated was the “dead man’s curve,” then plummeted to the ground and ignited a fire that first responders extinguished.
The bus crash that originally drew the news helicopter had killed Weida and Castillo when an SUV slammed into the Metro vehicle. Police have said 36-year-old Bailee Lynn Rios was driving that SUV.
Autumn Raiff, Weida’s long-term partner, attended Thursday’s vigil and spoke about the life they had been building together.
“He was one in a million,” Raiff said LA. “He deserved so much better. We were planning so much for our lives.”
Castillo’s family remembered him as a devoted father of four whose presence brightened any gathering.
“He was just amazing. His family was everything to him,” Francis Sandoval, Castillo’s cousin, told the outlet. “His laugh was contagious; he always had us laughing. Any time Danny was around, it was a blast.”
The vigil featured photographs of the victims, flowers and candles held by participants. A memorial at the parish will remain in place through the weekend.
The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the helicopter crash and expects to release a preliminary report within 30 days.
