Eliana Moreno, photojournalist and aerial reporter, was engaged to be married. George Marciniw, a veteran pilot, planned to retire soon. But Moreno won’t be able to walk down the aisle dressed in white, and Marciniw won’t enjoy the downtime he’d worked so hard for so long. The news helicopter crew was killed in a crash Tuesday night in a commercial area of Los Angeles. Edy Gutiérrez Mejía, a young tourist from Guatemala, had arrived in Los Angeles hours before being fatally struck by the helicopter when it crashed into the parking lot of a business. At least two other people were taken to the hospital with injuries, authorities said. The Eurocopter AS350, which works for stations NBC4 and Telemundo 52, crashed while covering a fatal bus collision in Chatsworth, a suburban neighborhood about 25 miles northwest of the city center, the stations said. Video of the helicopter, showing the outside view as it descended to the ground, includes sounds of the engine losing power and a warning alarm that apparently alerts the pilot that the main blades are decelerating, according to an analysis by CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean. NBC4 anchor Colleen Williams said the station lost contact with its crew before confirming on air that the crash involved its helicopter crew. “We’re going to take a couple of minutes to think about it, process it and regroup,” he said, before the station temporarily switched to other programming. The duo, Moreno and Marciniw, were employees of Angel City Air, the helicopter’s operator, and had been flying together since 2023, according to NBC4. CNN has contacted Angel City Air. Moreno and Marciniw worked closely on stories over the years, and both shared photos together, their social media accounts showed. While the cause of the crash is unknown, the National Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation into the wreckage, with a preliminary report available in 30 days, followed by a final report detailing the probable cause, which may take up to 18 months. Now, instead of celebrating their next chapters, the loved ones of the three killed in the helicopter crash are mourning their loss. Here’s what we know about the victims: Moreno “always wanted to be a news reporter,” her colleague Lynette Romero told NBC’s “Today” show Wednesday morning. Born in Orange County, Moreno graduated from Chapman University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and political science, NBC4 reported. He joined Angel City Air in September 2010 and has since worked for various regional media outlets. In 2023, Moreno received an award from the Southern California Television and Radio News Association for “Best Continuing TV Coverage.” Moreno came from a large family that was “very proud of her for…being in the news in her hometown,” Romero said. Under the username eli_in_the_heli, Moreno gave viewers an inside look at his reports from the sky. He explained how he often operated the camera placed on the front of the helicopter while narrating from inside the plane as the pilot navigated through coverage of wildfires, shootings and other activities throughout the city. Moreno, an animal lover, had dogs and chickens, according to Romero. In her Instagram bio, she writes that she is a mom to a dog and a chicken, with the initials “RB” written next to an engagement ring and an orange heart emoji. Her fiancé’s Instagram bio mirrors hers, with Moreno’s name written next to a heart emoji. Moreno’s hobbies included line dancing and running. In a May post, Moreno said she ran a half marathon in under two hours with her fiancé, despite having asthma. She posted photos of her and her fiancé happily flaunting their medals after the race. The couple apparently got engaged on a trip in October. Moreno shared a video of the trip and said, “I will remember this trip to Tennessee for the rest of my life.” The song “Counting My Blessings” played in the background while Moreno showed off her ring with her fiancé. “She was a light, a spark plug,” Romero said. “She’s tiny but she had the biggest heart and enthusiasm, it was really contagious.” In a moment that demonstrated Moreno’s enthusiasm for life, Romero recalled when his team had gone on a trip to see behind the scenes of the helicopter. Moreno was “very proud” to show them the plane and reveal how the machinery inside worked. “She knew exactly what she was doing. She knew how to express it to our viewers,” Romero said. “Our viewers are grieving too. They lost someone they knew very intimately. When you have that voice of a news reporter in your ear, it’s a very intimate relationship, right? They’re telling you exactly what they’re seeing, and you can hear it in their voice,” Romero added. In addition to having a voice that viewers instantly recognized, Moreno easily switched between English and Spanish while reporting for NBC4 and Telemundo 52, Romero said. NBC4 co-anchor Jonathan Gonzalez said Moreno was “extraordinarily talented.” Marciniw, who NBC4 says liked to be called “Jorge” when he was at Telemundo, was a lifelong Angeleno, Romero said. Marciniw, known and respected in the industry, loved his job and working with Moreno, according to NBC4. He had deep roots in Southern California and grew up in Burbank. He graduated in 1974 from Burbank High School, north of Los Angeles, NBC4 reported. He also came with a wealth of experience: Marciniw was a helicopter flight instructor for more than 30 years and had flown 14,000 hours, according to his iFlightPlanner page. On his social media, Marciniw frequently shared photos of stunning views from his mobile phone at the top of California, often mentioning Moreno. Pilot Esteban Jiménez said Marciniw, his old friend, was about to retire and had spoken with him about his plans two days before the accident. “I knew him since the ’90s. He was my instructor at one point, he was my eyes and ears here in Los Angeles,” Jimenez told NBC4. “I just can’t believe this.” California State Senator Caroline Menjivar paid tribute to Marciniw on Wednesday. “Our hearts go out to George’s family, his friends and all those grieving this heartbreaking loss,” she said. The NBC4 team of Moreno and Marciniw is heartbroken, Romero said. “They were both doing what they loved so much and it’s a comfort to me to know how happy they were. They loved breaking news and they loved being on News Chopper 4,” Romero said. NBC4 and Telemundo 52 said in a joint statement that they are “deeply saddened” by the tragedy. “We are going to miss them beyond words,” González said. The Los Angeles County medical examiner confirmed that the third victim was Mejia, a 29-year-old pedestrian who was in the parking lot of a business when the plane went down. Mejía had just arrived in Los Angeles from Guatemala on Tuesday, N+ Univision Los Angeles reported. Mejía, known as “Pichi,” is from the town of Cuilapa in southeastern Guatemala. The town said it “deeply regrets the tragic death” of Mejía, according to a translated statement. “We offer a prayer for the eternal repose of his soul and ask God to grant strength and peace to his family during this time of pain,” the statement said in Spanish. “He was very playful, he liked to tell jokes and make people laugh,” his family told Univision in Spanish. Mejía “liked to participate in the town’s activities when there were fairs or events. He always helped set up stages, helped with sound checks.” CNN contacted the Consulate General of Guatemala in Los Angeles. “This is a very, very, very tragic day in Los Angeles,” Mayor Karen Bass said at the scene, referring to both the helicopter crash and the deadly bus collision, which also left two dead. “My heart certainly goes out to the family and friends of all those we lost.” “Our hearts go out to the victims and families of tonight’s devastating Metro bus and helicopter crashes in Chatsworth, and to the entire NBC4 family,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom.
