Marcus Anthony Eriz and Wynne Lee: Young couple arrested in shooting death of Aiden Leos
ORANGE, CALIFORNIA: A couple has been arrested on Sunday, June 6, over the road rage shooting of Aiden Leos, 6, in Orange after a $500,000 reward was offered for information.
Eriz Marcus Anthony, 24, and Lee Wynne, 23, were arrested in their home in Costa Mesa, California Highway Patrol said. The pair is "expected to be charged with murder", a press release released by authorities said.
Investigators are working to secure the firearm used in the tragic shooting that took place on 55 freeway near Chapman in the city of Orange on May 21.
Aiden was shot while he was traveling with his mother, Joanna Cloonan. Aiden was sitting in the backseat of his mother's car as she drove him to kindergarten when another driver shot him, authorities said. Aiden was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Aiden's heartbreaking final words were said to be "Mommy, my tummy hurts."
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According to accounts from the mother and witnesses who stopped to help her, another car cut her off on the tragic day and she responded with a hand gesture. The car slipped in behind her and someone inside fired a shot through the rear of her car.
The arrests were made a day after funeral services were held for Aiden at a church in Yorba Linda. During the private ceremony, Aiden's mother gave an emotional eulogy. “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.”
Last month, California Highway Patrol (CHP) released a photo of the suspected vehicle in Aiden's shooting, a white Volkswagen Golf SportWagen, the city council release said. "The car was reportedly occupied by a female driver and male passenger," the release said, adding that CHP received multiple tips after releasing the photo.
"The senseless tragedy of Aiden Leos' death has been felt by the entire community," said Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens. "We want to do what's necessary to bring Aiden's killer to justice, to take him or her off our streets, and to deter others from engaging in this type of dangerous conduct."
A collective award of $500,000 includes the $100,000 that Orange County supervisors approved in late May after Supervisor Don Wagner moved to offer a $50,000 reward from his office's discretionary budget and Supervisor Katrina Foley matched it. Aiden's family also has been crowdfunding a $50,000 reward, and Foley says she has asked Costa Mesa to also offer a reward. On May 26, 2021, Orange County officials confirmed that $50,000 from another source of funds will be added. A GoFundMe has fundraiser been created to raise money for Aiden's mother. It has raised $338,951 while its goal was $100K.