SANTA ANA, Calif. – The heartbreaking testimony of a mother who lost her 6-year-old son in a Southern California road rage shooting brought the courtroom to tears on Monday. Joanna Cloonan recounted the tragic moments after she pulled to the side of a freeway to help her son, Aiden, who had been fatally shot in a horrific car-to-car shooting on the 55 Freeway in Orange County on May 21, 2021.
Cloonan took the stand in the murder trial of 26-year-old Marcus Eriz, who is accused of opening fire on her car following a confrontation on the freeway. The incident occurred after a driver reportedly cut off Aiden’s mother, leading to a confrontation that escalated into a fatal shooting.
Eriz has pleaded not guilty to murder and discharging a firearm at a vehicle. He was apprehended after a days-long law enforcement search for the shooter. Prosecutors described the shooting as callous, stating that a round fired by Eriz went through the trunk of the Leos’ car and struck Aiden, who was seated in the back and strapped into a booster seat.
The devastating trial included a frantic 911 call from Cloonan after she stopped on the side of the road and testimony from an off-duty officer who stopped to help. The off-duty officer, a member of the Seal Beach Police Department, provided crucial support as Cloonan desperately tried to aid her son, who was rapidly losing blood.
Authorities had searched tirelessly for the suspect in the days following the shooting, sifting through hundreds of tips and offering a substantial reward for information. Eriz was eventually found when police located the vehicle involved in the shooting stashed in a relative’s garage. He and his girlfriend were arrested outside their apartment in Costa Mesa two weeks after the tragic incident.
As Cloonan testified, she took her time with some questions, pausing for several seconds and at times closing her eyes before answering. Finally, she broke down in tears when the prosecution displayed a photo of a smiling Aiden. The jury is set to hear closing arguments on Wednesday, marking the culmination of a deeply emotional trial.