SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A jury on Thursday convicted a California man of homicide for taking pictures to loss of life a 6-year-old boy who was driving behind his mom’s automotive on a busy freeway.
Jurors in Orange County discovered 26-year-old Marcus Eriz responsible of second-degree homicide within the loss of life of Aiden Leos, who was strapped in a booster seat on his strategy to kindergarten. Additionally they discovered him responsible of taking pictures at an occupied motorcar.
Authorities stated Eriz and his girlfriend, Wynne Lee, have been heading to work on Might 21, 2021, when Lee minimize off a automotive pushed by Aiden’s mom, who responded with a impolite gesture. Eriz pulled out a gun, reached out the window and fired a shot on the mom’s automotive that went by the trunk and pierced Aiden’s coronary heart, authorities stated.
The taking pictures shocked the county of three million, which depends closely on a community of freeways to get to work and college, and drew worldwide consideration as authorities searched greater than two weeks for the killer.
“Should you shoot anyone or use violence on this county, and also you hurt a person, you’ll pay the worth,” Orange County District Legal professional Todd Spitzer informed reporters after the verdicts have been learn.
“Mr. Eriz is 40 years to life. His life is over, and it’s as a result of he took the lifetime of this treasured, harmless little boy,” Spitzer stated, pointing to a big photograph on show of a smiling Aiden.
Eriz appeared straight at jurors as they have been polled after the verdicts have been learn. He’s being held with out bail and scheduled to be sentenced on April 12. A message looking for remark was despatched to Eriz’s lawyer, Randall Bethune.
Simply over two weeks after the taking pictures, authorities arrested Eriz and Lee outdoors their condominium within the Orange County metropolis of Costa Mesa after chasing results in the white automotive she had been driving.
Eriz informed police he pulled out his gun and fired the shot, figuring out it was harmful, Dan Feldman, senior deputy district lawyer, informed jurors throughout the trial.
Eriz’s lawyer argued his shopper didn’t imply to kill anybody in what started as a highway rage incident and didn’t know he had till days later when a co-worker commented that Lee’s automotive appeared just like the one authorities have been looking for.
Lee, who has pleaded not responsible to being an adjunct after the actual fact, is being tried individually.
Jurors started deliberations late Wednesday. They met for just a little greater than an hour Thursday after they introduced they’d reached a verdict, Feldman stated.
Orange County Superior Court docket Decide Richard M. King thanked jurors and informed them free counseling was accessible for them if wanted.
“This has been a really attempting case,” he stated earlier than dismissing them.