An Orange County man is on trial in Santa Ana for the murder of 6-year-old Aiden Leos in a tragic case of road rage. Eleven counts of second-degree murder, one count of firing into an inhabited car, and enhancements for both counts of using a firearm inflicting grievous bodily injury or death are levelled against 26-year-old Marcus Anthony Eriz.
The defence argued that the shooting fatality was the result of a young man’s hasty choice and an error in judgement, while the prosecution rested their case. According to opening arguments given by Senior Deputy District Attorney Daniel Feldman, Eriz confessed to investigators that he had retrieved his revolver and fired after being “flipped-off” by the driver.
“He confessed to it, and when they (investigators) asked him about it, he said ‘yeah they were merging away from the vehicle, and that’s when I just grabbed my gun for some reason and shot at them’” prosecution said.
On May 21, 2021, at approximately 8 a.m., while Aiden Leos was riding shotgun in the backseat of his mother’s automobile near Chapman Avenue in Orange, the incident occurred on the 55 Motorway. On the way to Aiden’s Yorba Linda kindergarten class at Calvary Chapel Academy, Joanna Cloonan dropped him off.
Their driver, Wynne Lee, who is Eriz’s girlfriend, was taking them to the freeway’s carpool lane. Lee allegedly cut off Cloonan, returned to the carpool lane at high speed, and then flashed the peace sign, according to the prosecution.
Cloonan got out of the carpool lane a few miles down the road, went by Lee’s vehicle, and stuck her middle finger up. Suddenly, Eriz confessed that he had shot her automobile from behind.
“Without any consideration for the potential outcomes, animosity, or ulterior motive… “It was just a temporary loss of judgement by a young man of 24 years old,” defence attorney Randall Bethune stated.
Prosecution said the evidence in the case is overwhelming. “As far as the question of who shot Aiden, just listen to Mr. Eriz, he’ll tell you. For no reason other than a woman he didn’t know extended her middle finger at him on the freeway.”
“The responsibility, the fact that he might regret it, and you’ll hear this in his interview, does not change what happened. And it’s certainly not going to bring Aiden back,” Feldman said. On charges of murder and shooting a car, Eriz has entered a not-guilty plea.
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