Prosecutors on Tuesday charged a Costa Mesa couple in the fatal shooting of 6-year-old Aiden Leos during an apparent road rage incident in Orange County.
Prosecutors allege Marcus Eriz, 24, pulled the trigger, while his girlfriend, Wynne Lee, 23, drove the car. They charged Eriz with murder, and will seek an enhanced penalty for using a firearm. He faces a possible life sentence, while Lee faces up to four years behind bars if convicted.
Their arrests on Sunday followed a weeks-long search, which Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner says led to hundreds of tips.
"That's a testament to the people of Orange County who recognized that this sort of violence cannot be allowed to stand in our community," he said.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said investigators were able to narrow their search based on least one tip, but it's not clear who, if anyone, will be able to claim the half-million dollar reward for information leading to an arrest.
Both Eriz and Lee made their first appearance in court by videoconference Tuesday afternoon but won't be arraigned until June 18. Bail for Eriz was set at $2 million, while Lee's bail was reduced to $500,000 from the original $1 million.
Both remained in custody as of late Tuesday afternoon, according to Orange County jail records.
The shooting took place about 8 a.m. on May 21 as Aiden's mother, Joanna Cloonan, was driving northbound in a carpool lane on the 55 Freeway. Leos was in a booster seat in the back. She told authorities that as she tried to switch lanes to exit, a white VW Golf SportWagen cut her off.
After she made a gesture at the car, she heard her son screaming and pulled over. He was then rushed to Children's Hospital of Orange County with a bullet wound in his back, and died of his injuries.
