LOS ANGELES, CA — One week after a news helicopter crash in Chatsworth killed reporter Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw and a man on the ground, Moreno’s fiancé publicly thanked supporters and described the pain of losing her. He posted a statement on Instagram on Tuesday, saying the outpouring of sympathy and prayers had helped him during an overwhelming week.
In the message, he also extended condolences to others affected by the crash and said he was struggling to put his grief into words. The statement focused on Moreno’s personality, her enthusiasm for work and the future the couple had planned together before the tragedy ended those dreams.
Instagram statement recalls Moreno’s passion for reporting and their life plans
Moreno’s fiancé wrote that she loved what she did and approached her job with clear passion. He said he would sometimes joke with her as she left for work that she was heading to her favorite place, a reflection of how strongly she felt about the work she was doing.
He also described plans the couple had discussed for the future. According to his statement, they hoped to retire one day, move to Tennessee, own land and care for animals. He said those plans were gone now, but that her memory would remain with him forever.
The statement portrayed Moreno as someone he loved deeply for her personality, kindness and sense of humor. He wrote that he felt fortunate to have shared his life with her and said he missed her with every part of his body and soul.
A personal loss shared with family, friends and supporters
Along with speaking about his own grief, Moreno’s fiancé thanked family members and friends who had reached out after the crash. He said the messages, memories and stories people had sent him had been meaningful as he processed the loss.
His note also thanked everyone who had offered support to those touched by the crash. He said his heart went out to all of the people affected by the tragedy, underscoring that the loss extended beyond his own family and relationship.
The post reflected both mourning and gratitude, mixing private heartbreak with appreciation for the public response. It was a brief glimpse into how the crash has affected those closest to Moreno nearly a week after the accident.
What happened in the Sept. 15 crash in Chatsworth
The crash happened Sept. 15 in Chatsworth and involved the NBC4 helicopter Moreno and Marciniw were riding in. Officials said the helicopter went down while the pair were covering a bus collision a few blocks away.
Moreno, Marciniw and Edy Gutierrez Mejia, who was on the ground, were killed. The crash left a scene of loss that reached both the newsroom and the neighborhood where the helicopter went down.
At the time, the helicopter had been involved in news coverage of another incident nearby. The fatal crash turned that assignment into one of the deadliest moments in recent local television news memory.
Friends and coworkers continue to honor the lives lost
Moreno’s fiancé said he wanted to thank everyone who had shared memories of her. Those messages, he wrote, helped him hold on to the parts of her life that mattered most to the people who knew her.
The tribute added a personal voice to the broader mourning that followed the crash. Moreno’s death, along with the deaths of Marciniw and Gutierrez Mejia, has continued to draw attention because of the sudden violence of the accident and the people it touched.
For Moreno’s loved ones, the remembrance centered on who she was at work and at home: a reporter who loved her job, and a person remembered for warmth and humor by the man who planned to spend his life with her.
The crash left a lasting void for those closest to Moreno
In his statement, Moreno’s fiancé made clear that the loss remained immediate and painful even a week later. He said he wished he could hold her again and tell her he loved her, a simple expression of grief that captured the personal scale of the tragedy.
He closed by thanking people for their continued care and by expressing sympathy for everyone affected. The message was both a memorial and a recognition that the aftermath of the crash has reached far beyond one family, touching colleagues, friends and others in the community.