A California man was convicted of second-degree murder in the road rage killing of a 6-year-old boy who was on his way to kindergarten. Marcus Anthony Eriz, 26, could now face 40 years to life in prison for the May 2021 shooting of Aiden Leos after a highway altercation in Orange County, as CBS News Detroit reported.
The tragic incident unfolded after Eriz's girlfriend, Wynne Lee, allegedly cut off Aiden's mother Joanna Cloonan on the 55 Freeway, causing Cloonan to respond with a middle finger gesture. Known for driving a white Volkswagen SportWagen, Marcus Eriz, in a fit of anger that was misplaced, reached for his gun and fired at the rear of Cloonan's car, tragically hitting Aiden who was strapped in his booster seat. According to ABC News, after the heart-wrenching event, Cloonan attempted to save her son's life, indicating in court that she immediately "pulled over to the side of the freeway" and called 911 in a desperate scramble for help.
Eriz and Lee were captured by authorities two weeks after the incident following a widespread manhunt. Eriz, who did not take the stand during his trial, let an hour-long statement to investigators speak to his mindset at the time of the shooting, with prosecutors arguing the act showed "implied malice" and met the legal burden for murder. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a press conference, "A mom literally held her son whose heart was bleeding on the side of a freeway here in Orange County," calling Eriz's actions "reckless and just cold-hearted," as reported by NBC News.
While Eriz admitted during interrogation to shooting at Cloonan's car, he claimed that he did not deliberatively aim, stating, "I don't have an answer. Because I'm stupid. I didn't think of anything. I didn't think of the consequences or anyone," according to an interview with ABC News. Eriz's attorney argued the shooting was "just one moment of complete thoughtless act," a claim which the jury did not accept. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 12.
