Aiden Leos funeral service: Mom delivers emotional eulogy, says she wants justice
ORANGE, CALIFORNIA: On Saturday, June 5, a funeral was held for a six-year-old boy who was killed in an apparent road-rage incident. Aiden Leos was going to school with his mother Joanna Cloonan on May 21 morning when the tragedy happened. The event was done at Calvary Chapel Yorba Linda for family and close friends, while it was also live-streamed for others.
During the private ceremony, the devastated mother gave an emotional eulogy and said, “It feels so wrong that you’ve been taken from us. I want nothing more than to find justice, although it won’t bring you back into our arms. It makes me outraged that such a precious, beautiful soul did not get the opportunity to continue developing into a young man, starting a family of his own. My precious son had his life ripped away from him for absolutely no reason. They took his life and my heart along with it.”
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Joanna stood over her son’s flower-decorated casket while she said the little boy was very helpful in nature. He used to call his dad and say, “Hi Dad, it’s me, Aiden,” and wanted to become an entomologist in the future. The family also thanked people for their support in their tough times. “Throughout this past two weeks of unimaginable pain over the loss of our son, I have witnessed the abundance of goodness overflowing from around the world. My heart has been touched by so many of you. You have helped give me hope in the midst of hopelessness, have helped give me the desire to fight. When I felt I couldn’t open my eyes and face this new reality,” the mother stated, before mentioning Aiden’s last wish. “On his sixth birthday, as he blew out his candles, he looked at us and he said, ‘I just wish for everyone to be happy,'” she added.
Aiden was on his way to his kindergarten in Orange, California, with Joanna when an unidentified driver roughly overtook their car. Soon after, his mother gave the driver the finger via her rearview mirror, which allegedly enraged the other motorist, who fired a bullet, hitting the child, who was sitting in his booster seat. Police are still looking for the killer. The reward for help in finding the suspect has also been increased to $500,000, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer noted.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the accused’s car is believed to be a 2018-2019 white Volkswagen Golf Sportswagon with non-tinted windows and a sunroof. The vehicle was last seen on the 91 East at McKinley in Riverside after fatally shooting the child.
Earlier, Aiden’s elder sister Alexis Cloonan urged for help in finding the suspect. She had said, “She had blood on her clothes and he started turning blue and that's when the ambulance took him and that was the last time my mom saw him alive. Please help us find the people that did this to my little brother. He's only six and he was so sweet. He was a very loving boy so please help us find who did this to him. [My mom] had to hold her little boy as he died so she is very distraught right now. He was a rare toddler. I just loved having him in my life.”
Anyone with any information about the suspect or leading to the suspect can send tips by calling CHP’s Santa Ana office at 714-567-6000, or 800-TELL-CHP (835-5247). People can also email SantaAnaCHPTipline@chp.ca.gov.