Watch: Memorial Service For HB Officer Killed In Helicopter Crash

ANAHEIM, CA — A memorial service will be held March 8 to honor a Huntington Beach police officer who died in a Newport Beach helicopter crash in February.

The Honda Center will host the service for Officer Nicholas Vella at 10 a.m., the Huntington Beach Police Department announced Monday.

A livestream of the memorial service will be available on Huntington Beach's YouTube channel for those who cannot attend, city officials said.

Vella died of injuries from a Huntington Beach police helicopter crash on Feb. 19 off the coast of Newport Beach. Vella and another officer in the helicopter were helping the Newport Beach Police Department with a call before it crashed, police said.

Both officers were pulled from the crash's wreckage and transported to nearby hospitals, Huntington Beach police said.

The second officer was treated and discharged from the hospital, officials said. They declined to release the officer's name.

Vella is survived by his wife, Kristi Tovar, and a teenage daughter, according to police. Before joining the Huntington Beach Police Department, Vella was an officer in Laguna Beach.

The Huntington Beach Police Officers Association established a memorial fund to help support Vella's family.

"The family is going through a life-altering and catastrophic loss," the fund's page said. "Any monetary support you can provide to ease their concerns relating to ongoing costs would be greatly appreciated."