Jan. 25 (UPI) — Jurors on Thursday found Marcus Eriz guilty of murder in a 2021 road rage incident that killed 6-year-old Aiden Leos.
Eriz, 26, also was found guilty of one felony count of murder, one felony count of shooting into an occupied vehicle and two felony enhancements of personal discharge of a firearm causing bodily injury and death.
Leos was shot while riding in the back of a silver Chevrolet Sonic driven by his mother Joanna Cloonan on 55 Freeway in Orange, Calif., in 2021. Cloonan said she was enraged that a vehicle cut her off and flashed her middle finger while she passed the car.
Eriz, riding in the passenger seat of his girlfriend’s car, retaliated by pulling a Glock 17 from the driver’s seat back pocket and shooting at Cloonan’s vehicle.
The bullet went through the back of the car before striking Leos. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital about 30 minutes after the shooting.
