‘Im honestly scared’: Woman charged with murder after deadly LA Metro bus crash; drugs found in vehicle
Bailee Rios, 36, is facing murder charges after her SUV crashed into a Los Angeles Metro bus in Chatsworth, killing two people and injuring several others. Authorities said drugs were found in her vehicle and that she had drugs in her system at the time of the crash.
Who is Bailee Rios?
Bailee Lynn Rio, 36, is from Simi Valley. According to Ventura County court records, cited by ABC7, Rios was convicted of misdemeanor drug possession in 2016 after pleading guilty. Records show she was charged with the same offense again in 2022, but those charges were dismissed. However, she was convicted in that same 2022 case of driving with a suspended license.
As per the New York Post, Rios’ close friend Brad Aragon said she had “big concerns lately” before the crash.
At 1:24pm local time Tuesday, just hours before the crash, Rios sent Aragon a text that read, “Brad, it’s not a joking matter on this bf thing its serious and im honestly scared but yes of course imma come see you.”
Aragon told the New York Post“She was saying lately that she was associating with certain people that she shouldn’t be associating with. I was going to help her with that.”
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What charges does she face?
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges against Rios during a news conference on Thursday, as per ABC7. She has been charged with second-degree murder, along with driving under the influence of a drug causing injury, and reckless driving. If convicted as charged, she faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole.
As per NY Post, Hochman called the deaths caused by Rios preventable, saying, “Miss Rios did not have to get behind the wheel while impaired. She did not have to drive on the other side of the road. She did not have to blow through the red light at full force and drive her SUV right into a Metro bus. That was all preventable.”
The DA said Rios had drugs in her system at the time, and narcotics were found in her car.
He did not specify the type of narcotics but described them as “hard drugs,” adding that a full chemical evaluation is underway. Separately, sources with knowledge of the investigation told NY Post that cops discovered suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in her vehicle.
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How the crash happened
Rios allegedly drove a gray 2004 Ford Expedition south in the northbound lanes of De Soto Avenue just after 5pm, Tuesday, running a red light at high speed and nearly colliding with another vehicle before hitting the side of a Metro Line 166 bus in the 20900 block of Nordhoff Street.
The Los Angeles Police Department said, “The impact fully ejected one passenger from the bus and partially ejected a second. Debris from the collision also damaged a blue 2024 Honda CR-V that was stopped, facing northbound, on De Soto Avenue at Nordhoff Street.”
Two people were pronounced dead at the scene and one suffered serious injuries, police said. A total of six patients were transported to hospitals, with the rest sustaining non-life-threatening injuries.
Rios herself was injured in the collision and treated at a hospital before being taken into custody.
Who are the victims
The LA County Department of the Medical Examiner identified the victims as Daniel Castillo, 46, who died on the bus, and Gage Weida, 31, who died on the street nearby after apparently being thrown from the bus.
Rios was scheduled to appear in court Thursday morning but could not attend due to a medical event, and is expected to appear for arraignment Friday. She was booked on Wednesday with bail set at $4.03 million.
