Chatsworth Metro bus crash: Bailee Rios due in court on murder charges

LOS ANGELES - A Simi Valley woman is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday at the Los Angeles County Superior Court in San Fernando, facing two counts of second-degree murder and multiple felony DUI charges after allegedly driving under the influence of drugs at high speeds and slamming her SUV into a Metro bus in Chatsworth, killing two passengers and injuring six others.

The backstory:

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, 36-year-old Bailee Rios was driving a gray 2004 Ford Expedition south in the northbound lanes of De Soto Avenue shortly after 5 p.m. on September 15. 

Investigators reported that she ran a red light, nearly struck an eastbound vehicle, and collided with the side of a Metro Line 166 bus in the 20900 block of Nordhoff Street. The high-speed impact fully ejected one passenger from the bus and partially ejected another.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified the two people killed as Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31. Castillo died on the bus, while Weida was thrown onto the street during the collision and died at the scene. Six people were transported to hospitals following the crash, including Rios and the bus driver.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 

• Arraignment delayed again for driver in deadly Chatsworth Metro bus crash
• Chatsworth bus crash: Arraignment for suspect charged with murder postponed for 3rd time
• Chatsworth Metro bus crash: Arraignment postponed for Simi Valley woman due to medical reasons

Rios was arrested the night of the crash by investigators with the LAPD's Valley Traffic Division.

She is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, one felony count of driving under the influence causing injury, and one misdemeanor count of reckless driving, alongside allegations of causing great bodily injury. 

District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated that Rios was impaired by drugs and could face up to life in prison if convicted. She remains jailed in lieu of $4.1 million bail.

What we don't know:

Authorities have not publicly identified the specific type of narcotics allegedly recovered from Rios' SUV following the crash. 

It's uncertain whether federal investigators will link the nearby NBCLA helicopter crash to the bus collision, or how that determination might affect the prosecution's strategy.

What they're saying:

Following the postponed hearing on Friday, a cousin of Daniel Castillo spoke outside the courthouse to share the family's pain, stating, "Danny was loved by everybody. She broke our family ... she needs to come and face what she did."

Castillo was a father of four. On a GoFundMe page set up to help support his family, his daughter Johaunna Castillo remembered her father, writing that he was "truly an amazing person who had a way of bringing laughter and light into every room he walked into."

What's next:

Rios is set to appear in a San Fernando courtroom today to face her formal charges, provided her physical condition allows the proceeding to move forward. 

Meanwhile, federal agencies continue their investigation into the news helicopter crash that occurred near the scene. Once that federal inquiry concludes, the District Attorney's office will evaluate the findings to determine if any factors impact Rios' case.