Brother of Fallen NBC Reporter Warns Against Scammers Exploiting Her Death
Johan Moreno publicly stated that his family is not collecting donations after his sister, Eliana Moreno, died in a helicopter crash.
The brother of NBC reporter Eliana Moreno has publicly denounced individuals attempting to capitalize on her death by soliciting unauthorized donations. Johan Moreno issued a statement on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday, emphasizing that his family and Eliana’s fiancé are not soliciting monetary contributions.
"Any online donation pages are not endorsed by our family," Johan Moreno wrote, expressing gratitude for the public's well wishes and understanding during this difficult time. He shared a throwback photograph of his sister inside NewsChopper 4, the Eurocopter AS350 that crashed in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Eliana Moreno, 38, was among three people killed when the helicopter crashed while covering a bus collision in Chatsworth. The other victims were pilot George Marciniw and Edy Gutierrez Mejia, 29, who was on the ground.
Mourners have gathered at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, the departure point for NewsChopper 4, to create a makeshift memorial with flowers. Friends and colleagues have shared tributes to Moreno, with LA aerial photographer Jake Asner describing her as "wildly good at what she did" and "one of a kind." An NBC Los Angeles reporter, Jonathan Gonzalez, echoed this sentiment.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the crash. Investigators are examining surveillance video from nearby buildings, reviewing the helicopter's logbooks, and inspecting the wreckage, which has been moved to a secure facility. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, though a final report could take up to 18 months. NTSB investigator-in-charge Fabian Salazar indicated that livestream video documenting the helicopter's final moments is considered critical evidence. The video appears to capture alarms sounding and the helicopter descending before the footage cuts out, coinciding with the time of the crash.