Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
News

Donut Shop's Fundraiser For Boy Killed In Road Rage Shooting Goes Viral

Station Donuts in Yorba Linda is selling Aiden's Donuts to support Aiden Leos' family's fundraiser. The donuts are in Aiden's favorite color.
(
Station Donuts
/
Facebook
)

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.

A Yorba Linda donut shop is selling special donuts this weekend, part of an effort to raise money for the family of six-year-old Aiden Leos, who was killed in a road rage shooting on the 55 Freeway in Orange last week.

What was expected to be a small, local fundraiser has turned into a massive show of community support.

Susan Heam, who owns Station Donuts in Yorba Linda, says she never anticipated so much support.

“I woke up, I look at my Facebook and Instagram, I had over 1,000 shares on social media,” she said. “There were so many orders that I cannot take additionals to what I already have.”

The line for the shop has been around the corner, with people camping out hoping to snag a donut to help the family.

Heam says the bakers and employees have been turning out donuts as fast as they can, working throughout the night, but they are now facing challenges.

“We're just not prepared for all of this,” she said. “We don't have enough staff, we don't have enough supplies. I didn't think that it was going to go this big.”

Sponsored message

Heam says they are grateful for the community support. To those waiting for the next batch, she asks for patience.

“Please be patient with us, that's all we are asking,” she said. “We have been working days and nights, my line hasn’t stopped, we are making as we go.”

Station Donuts is selling Aiden's donuts through Monday, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Leos family's GoFundMe.

More than $310,000 in reward money is being offered for information leading to an arrest. The boy’s mother said she was trying to change lanes when she was cut off by a car. The CHP says a male passenger fired a weapon from a white Volkswagen Golf SportWagen, model year 2018 or 2019. However, the car’s license plate is not visible in an image that has been made public.

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.

If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today