THE man arrested in the road rage shooting death that left six-year-old Aiden Leos dead is a well-known gun-carrying auto-shop worker who frequently posts videos of his latest weapons.
Marcus Anthony Eriz, 24, and his girlfriend Lee Wynne, 23, were arrested in their home in Costa Mesa, California Highway Patrol said, after a $500,000 reward was offered for information leading to their capture.
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Authorities added in a press release that they expect murder charges against the couple, according to CBS Los Angeles. They are reportedly working to secure the firearm used in the shooting.
Aiden was fatally shot while riding in the back seat of his mother's car last month after she reportedly angered another driver who cut her off on a highway in Orange, California.
Officials say Eriz was the shooter in the fatal road rage incident, with his weapons-ridden social media posts showing Eriz shooting a variety of guns.
Eriz's social media is filled with photos of the suspected gunman firing off guns at shooting ranges.
In one picture, he's seen holding two handguns and a rifle, while in another, he's brandishing ammunition.
Neither Eriz nor Lee are thought to have prior felonies, nor is it known which gun was used to kill Leos or if it was pictured on Eriz's social media.
Although Eriz's social media lists him as an auto shop worker, the owners of Platinum Collision told ABC7 he stopped working there in January.
Lee is the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants who grew up in the San Gabriel Valley. She was listed as unemployed on jail records, with authorities saying both she and Eriz were under surveillance in the months prior to their arrests.
The tragic incident unfolded on 55 freeway near Chapman at around 8am on May 21 as Aiden's mother was driving him to kindergarten in her silver Chevrolet Sonic.
She gave the finger to a driver in her review mirror, but as she switched lanes, a male gunman believed to have been sitting in the passenger's seat of a car driven by a woman, suddenly fired into her vehicle.
The single gunshot struck little Aiden in the back.
His mother pulled over to the side of the road and cradled him in her arms until an off-duty police officer raced over to administer CPR.
He was taken by ambulance to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County where he was pronounced dead.
Aiden's heartbreaking final words were said to be "Mommy, my tummy hurts."
A hunt had been underway for the suspects and their vehicle which was described as a 2018-2019 white Volkswagen Golf SportsWagen with non-tinted windows and a sunroof.
According to KTLA, Eriz and Wynne are boyfriend and girlfriend and their car was found in another location.
It is not clear if it is the white Volkswagen cops were searching for.
The circumstances in the lead-up to the arrest is also not clear.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer had told KTLA that the reward for any information leading to the capture and conviction of the child’s killer had recently increased to half a million.
The family had also pleaded with the suspects to come forward as the young boy's funeral was held on Saturday.
"This is a memorial, not a funeral," Pastor Joshua Holiday said, according to ABC7.
"A funeral's a ceremony, it's held in connection with the burial or cremation, someone's death and it signifies the end of their existence.
"A memorial service is a ceremony serving to preserve the remembrance of someone's life. The focal point is different.
"We're here to celebrate the life of Aiden," he added.
Aiden's mother Joanna Cloonan also eulogized her son in a moving tribute.
"Your kindness, your prayers, your support and unbelievable generosity has helped provide me with so much strength, so I may stand on my own two feet today, in front of you, and share the beauty of who Aiden was and still is," Coonan said.
"The joy he brought into our lives was insurmountable," she added.
"My heart melted every time he laughed."
Aiden's distraught sister, Alexis Cloonan, urged the public to help identify the pair.
"My mom is too distraught right now to talk so I'm down here for her because people should know what happened to my little brother," she said through tears.
"Please help us find the people that did this to my little brother. He's only six and he was so sweet."
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