LOS ANGELES, CA — The woman charged in a fatal Chatsworth Metro bus crash is scheduled to appear in court Monday as prosecutors pursue a murder case tied to the collision that killed two people and injured five others. Bailee Rios, 36, of Simi Valley, faces two counts of second-degree murder along with DUI and reckless driving charges.
Investigators say the crash happened last Tuesday just after 5 p.m. on Nordhoff Street near De Soto Avenue, where a gray 2004 Ford Expedition allegedly crossed into the northbound lanes while traveling south. Authorities say the vehicle ran a red light at high speed before striking Metro Line 166. Rios is being held in lieu of $4.1 million bail and could face life in prison with the possibility of parole if convicted as charged.
Prosecutors say drugs and narcotics were found after the crash
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Rios had drugs in her system at the time of the collision and that narcotics were discovered in her car. He did not identify the substances, describing them only as “hard drugs,” and said a full chemical evaluation is still underway.
That testing matters because prosecutors have already charged Rios with driving under the influence of a drug causing injury. Hochman said the results may help clarify what substances were involved and how they factor into the case. He added that the crash investigation remains active and that any additional charges would depend on what investigators determine about the events surrounding the collision.
Police say the SUV entered traffic the wrong way on De Soto Avenue
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Rios was driving south in the northbound lanes of De Soto Avenue when she ran the red light and nearly hit an eastbound vehicle before striking the bus in the 20900 block of Nordhoff Street. Police said the impact was severe enough to eject one passenger fully and partially eject a second from the bus.
Debris from the collision also damaged a blue 2024 Honda CR-V that was stopped nearby facing northbound on De Soto Avenue at Nordhoff and was not part of the bus crash itself. Police said six patients total were transported to local hospitals. One person suffered serious injuries, while the other bus passengers taken to hospitals had non-life-threatening injuries.
Two passengers died and several others were hurt in the impact
Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, and the county medical examiner later identified them as Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31. Castillo died on the bus, while Weida died on the street nearby after apparently being thrown from the vehicle during the collision.
Family members described both men as deeply loved and remembered them as people who made a strong impact on those around them. Weida was on his way to work, according to his family, who said they had planned to visit him in Los Angeles for his birthday before instead coming for his funeral. Castillo’s daughter said her father brought laughter and light to the people who knew him.
Rios was hospitalized and remains jailed on $4.1 million bail
Rios was injured in the crash and treated at a hospital before police took her into custody, Metro spokesman Jose Ubaldo said. Metro previously said she had died at the hospital, but that account was later corrected as unfounded.
Her arraignment has already been delayed twice because defense attorneys said she was medically unable to take part in the hearing last week. Court records in Ventura County show she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor drug possession in 2016. She was charged with the same offense in 2022, but those charges were dismissed. In that same 2022 case, she was convicted of driving with a suspended license.
The bus case is unfolding alongside a separate helicopter crash investigation
The Metro bus crash drew additional attention because an NBC4 helicopter crew reporting on the collision later crashed just blocks away that same night. Three people were killed in that helicopter crash, including the reporter and pilot aboard the aircraft and one person on the ground. Two others were injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating what caused the helicopter to go down. Hochman said his office will review whether the two incidents connect once the federal inquiry is complete. If investigators find a link, he said prosecutors will consider whether any further charges are appropriate; if not, the helicopter crash will not add to the current case.
Officials ask witnesses to contact the Valley Traffic Division
LAPD and county officials continue to piece together the sequence of events around the bus collision, including the speed of the SUV, the wrong-way travel on De Soto Avenue and the final moments before impact. Supervisorial leaders have also said they are working with Metro and local authorities as families and survivors cope with the losses.
Anyone with information about the crash is being asked to contact LAPD Officer Reyes at (818) 644-8114, Officer Lozon at (818) 644-8117, or the Valley Traffic Division at the same number. Calls after business hours or on weekends can be made to 1-877-LAPD-24-7.