Add The California Post on Google Bailee Lynn Rios, the woman charged with murder for allegedly ramming her SUV into a Los Angeles Metro bus and killing two people, was bruised and bewildered as she entered a not guilty plea to murder charges from a hospital gurney.
Rios, 36, was wheeled into the courtroom by officials at San Fernando Superior Court Wednesday. Both of her eyes were blacked, she was covered with hospital blankets and stared at the ceiling most of the hearing.
The arraignment was long-awaited for Rios, the suspect in the Sept. 15 Metro crash that set off a chain of events culminating in the NBC news helicopter crash that killed three more people.
Rios, 36, pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, driving under the influence, and reckless driving in a Los Angeles Superior Court room.
Rios was forced to participate in Wednesday’s proceedings after she previously missed several court appearances due to medical reasons as she recovered from the vicious crash.
Cops discovered suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in her vehicle following the deadly wreck, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the deaths allegedly caused by Rios were preventable.
“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,” he said.
She will face a maximum sentence of life behind bars if convicted, he said.
The California Post revealed texts she sent hours before the collision, including one where she professed to friend Brad Aragon that she was “scared.”
“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,” read a text from Rios to Aragon at 1:24 p.m. Tuesday — only hours before her SUV slammed into the side of the Metro bus.
Aragon told The Post Rios had “big concerns lately” and “was associating with certain people that she shouldn’t be associating with.”
The LA County Department of the Medical Examiner identified the victims of the bus crash as Gage Weida, 31, and Daniel Castillo, 46, on Wednesday morning. Castillo was a father of four children, and Weida had a longtime partner.
In the helicopter crash, reporter Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw, and bystander Edy Gutierrez Mejia perished.
A new video showed Rios dazed and bloody moments after the crash. She spoke with a man on the scene and said she was okay.
The new footage also showed the brutal damage inflicted on the bus and Rios’ vehicle, shredding metal on both vehicles and spreading shattered glass.
