Edy Gutierrez Mejia, 29, a tourist from Cuilapa, Guatemala, was identified as the third person killed when a KNBC news helicopter crashed in Chatsworth on Sept. 15. The crash also killed KNBC reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. The Eurocopter AS350 went down around 8 p.m. while covering a separate fatal bus collision; the NTSB will lead the investigation.
Tourist Identified Among Three Killed in KNBC Helicopter Crash in Los Angeles
Edy Gutierrez Mejia.Credit: Edy Gutierrez Mejia/Facebook
Family members have identified the third victim of the KNBC news helicopter crash on Sept. 15 as 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, a visitor from Cuilapa, Guatemala who arrived in Los Angeles that same day to purchase cars for his business.
What Happened
The Eurocopter AS350 went down at about 8 p.m. in Chatsworth, between two commercial buildings near 9151 N. Mason Ave., roughly 25 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The helicopter was covering a separate bus crash at the time. KNBC reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were killed on board; Gutierrez Mejia was struck and killed on the ground while standing near a vehicle at a local storage facility.
Victims and Reactions
Authorities confirmed Gutierrez Mejia’s identity through the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner. Family members described him as playful, cheerful and hardworking. "He liked to tell jokes and make people laugh," relatives told KMEX in Spanish. A close friend, Daniel Castillo, described him as "always there for those who needed him."
Edy Gutierrez Mejia.Credit: Edy Gutierrez Mejia/Facebook
KNBC paid tribute to Moreno and Marciniw on air. Anchors and colleagues expressed shock and sorrow over the loss of two experienced newsroom members: Moreno, an Orange County native who studied broadcast journalism and had flown on news helicopters since 2010, and Marciniw, a longtime Southern California resident and pilot who began flying with Moreno in 2023.
Investigation and Context
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a preliminary statement confirming the Eurocopter AS350 crash and noting that two people were on board. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the probe into the cause of the crash. The helicopter had been covering a fatal bus collision that earlier killed two people and injured six; the Los Angeles Police Department said a woman was arrested on suspicion of murder in the bus crash but has not yet been formally charged.
"We mourn the tragic passing of Edy Fernando Gutiérrez Mejia, better known as 'Pichi,'" the Municipality of Cuilapa wrote on social media, offering prayers and condolences to his family.
The investigation is ongoing and officials have urged anyone with video or witness information to contact authorities. Local and international communities have expressed condolences as details continue to emerge.
Help us improve.
