In Southern California, Marcus Anthony Eriz, 27, of Costa Mesa, gets the highest punishment of 40 years to life in prison for firing at a car during a road rage occurrence on an expressway, leading to the tragic passing of 6-year-old Aiden Leos.
6-Year-Old Child Shot During Road Rage Incident
The circumstances happened on May 21, 2021. Eriz was convicted of second-degree killing and firing into an occupied vehicle by a jury in January.
Superior Court Judge Richard King stressed the susceptibility of Aiden, who was on his way to kindergarten with his mother when the deadly circumstances took place.
Eriz fired a shot at the car after his girlfriend, who was driving, cut off Aiden's mother on State Route 55. Following a gesture exchange between the drivers, Eriz opened fire from the back seat, hitting Aiden, who was seated in a car seat in the back.
Eriz expressed remorse in court, acknowledging the pain he caused Aiden and his family. However, the judge declined to ignore a sentencing enhancement that added 25 years to life to his sentence.
Prosecutors contested that Eriz's actions constituted intended murder, rather than a mistake. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer convicted Eriz's actions, stating that his decision to shoot a gun on a freeway resulted in the passing of a young life and endangered the safety of all drivers.
Eriz's girlfriend, Wynne Lee, faces charges of accessory after the fact and having a concealed firearm in a vehicle. Her case is pending, and she has pleaded not guilty.
California Man, Girlfriend Were Arrested for Road Rage Incident
Following a manhunt, Eriz and Lee were arrested on June 6, 2021, with a reward for information leading to their capture exceeding $300,000.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer remarked in the statement, "What he took was the life of a little six-year-old boy and the sense of security of drivers everywhere who worry that driving on our freeways could be a death sentence, not because of a crash but because of a bullet."
An email seeking comment was sent to Eriz's attorney, Randall Bethune.
During the trial, authorities described how Eriz and his girlfriend, Wynne Lee, were commuting to work when Lee cut off a car driven by Leos' mother, provoking a response with a rude gesture.
Eriz then allegedly brandished a gun, leaned out of the window, and fired a shot at the mother's car, which penetrated the trunk and struck Leos' heart.
Eriz's defense argued that he did not intend to kill anyone during what initially appeared to be a road rage incident and claimed he was unaware of the fatal outcome until days later when a co-worker mentioned the authorities' search for Lee's car.
The shooting deeply affected the county's population of 3 million, heavily reliant on freeways for commuting, drawing international attention during the more than two-week-long search for the perpetrator.
Eriz and Lee were arrested outside their apartment in Costa Mesa after investigators traced leads to Lee's white car. Lee pleaded not guilty to being an accessory after the fact and is undergoing a separate trial.
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