Updated
Updated · KABC-TV · Sep 18
Bailee Lynn Rios Arraignment Delayed Again in 2-Fatal Metro Bus Crash
Updated
Updated · KABC-TV · Sep 18

Bailee Lynn Rios Arraignment Delayed Again in 2-Fatal Metro Bus Crash

3 articles · Updated · KABC-TV · Sep 18

Summary

  • Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, did not enter a plea Friday after being brought to San Fernando court by ambulance on a gurney; lawyers said she was medically unable to answer questions, and the arraignment was reset for Monday.
  • Prosecutors charged Rios with second-degree murder, DUI and reckless driving in Tuesday's Chatsworth crash that killed bus passengers Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31, and injured six others.
  • Investigators say Rios was high, had narcotics in her Ford Expedition, drove on the wrong side of De Soto Avenue and ran a red light before slamming into the bus.
  • Bail remains set at $4.03 million, and District Attorney Nathan Hochman said he was unaware of any effort to reduce it; if convicted, Rios faces up to life in prison.
  • The crash has widened into a broader community tragedy after an NBC4 news helicopter covering the scene also crashed nearby, prompting a vigil for all five people killed in both incidents.

Insights

How did a repeat offender with a suspended license manage to get behind the wheel and cause this deadly bus crash?
Can prosecutors secure a Watson-murder conviction against a driver who was brought to her arraignment in an ambulance?
Will the vehicle's black box reveal mechanical failure, or just the tragic consequences of a conscious choice to drive impaired?