That seemed to be IMC and nothing where VFR should be attempted.
Van Nuys reported overcast at 1100, while the helicopter was at 1400, so he was still in the clouds. He would have been trying to go lower to get into VFR conditions. I guess he forgot that he was also flying toward an area of elevated terrain. It’s easy for me to say that he should have stayed IFR. Many pilots have done what he did. I don’t think any lived to tell about it, though.
I wonder if that was the regular pilot or if he’d flown that route before.