A helicopter providing aerial news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 crashed in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, on the evening of September 15, after reporting on a nearby Metro bus collision. The crash occurred between commercial buildings on Mason Avenue, ignited a fire, and killed two people aboard the aircraft and a pedestrian on the ground. Federal aviation authorities are investigating; no cause has been established.
Riverside
Follow the local stories shaping Riverside in five minutes each weekday. Enter your email to get the next local briefing.
What Riverside is talking about
A collision involving a Metro bus and an SUV occurred shortly after 5 p.m. on September 15 near Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue in Chatsworth. Initial Los Angeles Fire Department reporting recorded two deaths and six hospital transports among eight patients; later reporting from Metro said a third victim died. The crash was followed by a separate fatal news-helicopter crash nearby, which is distinct from the bus-collision death toll.
Two 14-year-old boys were critically injured when a Lexus struck them as they attempted to cross Arlington Avenue at Mitchell Avenue in Riverside on Aug. 25, 2026. One boy was riding an e-scooter and the other an e-moto/e-motorcycle; police said both later died, while the investigation remained open and no arrests had been made.
Anthony Joseph Blas, an 18-year-old Cal State Fullerton student, died after he was taken unresponsive to St. Jude Medical Center following an off-campus gathering. Fullerton police said he had attended a function at an unaffiliated fraternity near Associated Road and Milton Avenue. The police investigation remains active, while the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner will determine the official cause and manner of death.
Federal authorities announced charges against 12 people accused of obtaining more than $10 million from government child-care subsidy programs through licensed in-home facilities in the San Diego area. Prosecutors allege the facilities had few or no children in attendance despite submitted attendance records and reimbursement claims. The subsidies are intended to help low-income families afford child care while parents work or attend school.
Riverside’s City Council created an ad hoc, three-member working group to develop an artificial-intelligence strategy and policy recommendations for the city. The group is intended to examine municipal AI use alongside economic, workforce, infrastructure, cybersecurity and education considerations, then report back within 13 months. The action follows prior city discussions involving an AI website chatbot, AI-enabled police body cameras and possible data-center regulation.
Riverside officials have been developing rules for e-bikes and similar electric conveyances after receiving more than 200 unsafe-use complaints in 2026. The proposed ordinance would regulate riding locations and safety practices, with potential fines for violations. The City Council deferred its planned Sept. 15 consideration to its Sept. 22 meeting to revise language.