A driver has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in connection with a fatal crash that killed two Metro bus passengers in Chatsworth. Prosecutors allege Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, of Simi Valley, was driving a 2004 Ford Expedition the wrong way when she ran a red light and slammed into an orange Metro bus at the intersection of Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue on September 15, 2026. Daniel Castillo, 46, died on the bus, while Gage Weida, 31, was ejected during the collision and died in the street nearby. Several other bus passengers were injured in the crash. Rios is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, a felony count of DUI causing injury, and a misdemeanor count of reckless driving, and remains jailed on $4.1 million bail.
According to NBC Los Angeles, Rios entered her not guilty plea during a September 24 court appearance and is due back for a preliminary hearing on November 2. The outlet reported that the SUV became partially embedded in the bus after impact and that six bus passengers were hurt in the crash. ABC7 Los Angeles similarly reported that Rios is accused of driving southbound in the northbound lanes before running the red light. Authorities have not detailed how long the intersection remained closed, and the case remains under investigation as prosecutors pursue murder charges tied to alleged intoxication at the time of the crash.
A Simi Valley woman accused of causing a Metro bus crash that killed two people in Chatsworth missed her court arraignment for a fourth time this week. Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, allegedly drove her SUV the wrong way on De Soto Avenue and ran a red light at Nordhoff Street before slamming into the side of a Metro Line 166 bus on September 16, 2026. The crash killed two bus passengers and sent six others to area hospitals, one with major injuries. Rios faces two counts of second-degree murder along with DUI and reckless driving charges, and is being held on $4.1 million bail.
According to NBC Los Angeles, Rios has been unable to appear in court due to a medical condition, reportedly including a broken bone and withdrawal symptoms, and her arraignment has now been rescheduled multiple times. The outlet reported that Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman called the crash “absolutely preventable” and said investigators found narcotics in the vehicle. Authorities say Rios has prior convictions for drug possession and driving with a suspended license. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole.
A Metro bus was broadsided in Chatsworth, California, on Tuesday evening when a driver going the wrong way ran a red light and slammed into the bus at the intersection of Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue. Two bus passengers, Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31, were killed, and six other people, including the SUV’s driver, were injured. Investigators say the SUV driver, 36-year-old Bailee Lynn Rios of Simi Valley, was allegedly impaired by narcotics at the time of the crash. She was arrested and has since been charged with second-degree murder, DUI causing injury, and reckless driving. If convicted, Rios faces up to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
According to ABC7 Los Angeles, newly released video shows Rios bloodied inside her wrecked Ford Expedition moments after the crash, and firefighters had to cut her from the vehicle. The outlet reported that Rios has prior drug offenses and a history of driving on a suspended license. Her bail was set at $4.03 million, and a court hearing scheduled for September 18 was postponed for medical reasons. The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
A crash in the Chatsworth area of the San Fernando Valley left two people dead and six others hospitalized on Tuesday evening, September 15, 2026. A gray SUV was traveling south in the northbound lanes of De Soto Avenue when it ran a red light at Nordhoff Street and slammed into the side of a Metro Line 166 bus. The impact fully ejected one bus passenger and partially ejected another; both later died. West Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue were shut down well into the night as police and fire crews investigated and cleared the scene.
According to CBS News Los Angeles, the driver, 36-year-old Bailee Lynn Rios of Simi Valley, was arrested on suspicion of murder and was being held on multimillion-dollar bail. The outlet reported the two people killed were identified as 31-year-old Gage Weida and 46-year-old Daniel Castillo, while six other people were hospitalized, one with major injuries. LAPD said Rios’ SUV was traveling the wrong way before running the red light, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case for formal charges. ABC7 Los Angeles reported that LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division is asking anyone with information about the crash to come forward.
