A day after the mother of a 6-year-old was killed in a road shooting Seeking justice at his memorial serviceTwo people have been arrested in connection with the boy’s death.
The California Highway Patrol said Marcus Anthony Erez, 24, and Wayne Lee, 23, were detained Sunday outside their Costa Mesa home and are likely to be charged with premeditated murder.
The A fatal shooting occurred in Aidan Lewis, 6, on May 21 On State Route 55 in Orange, Aiden’s mother, Joanna Cloonan, was driving her son to kindergarten.
According to Cloonan and those who stopped to help her, she made a hand gesture to a car she had cut off, then walked behind her, and one of them shot at Cloonan’s car. Aiden, who was sitting in the back seat, was shot in the abdomen and pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
“She had to carry her little boy as he died,” Aiden’s sister, Alexis Cloonan, said of the boy’s mother.
“The joy he brought into our lives was insurmountable”:A mother commends a 6-year-old boy who was killed in a suspected roadside shooting
The The highway has been closed for hours After the shooting, while investigators were looking for evidence, up to 500,000 US dollars were offered Reward for information leading to arrest. Todd Spitzer, the attorney general for Orange County, said anonymous donors, government officials and community members all donated the reward.
“On behalf of Border Division Chief Omar Watson and the Santa Ana District, we are deeply grateful for the professionalism and tireless commitment of our investigators who have worked on this case since day one to find those responsible for Aiden’s death,” the California Highway Patrol said. Commissioner Amanda Ray.
Erez and Lee were held in the Orange County Jail on $1 million bail each. They will appear in court on Tuesday. It was not clear if they had lawyers who could speak on their behalf, and their relationship was not immediately known.
The authorities said earlier that the car was being operated by a driver and a passenger.
At the memorial service on Saturday, Cloonan said her son brought her an “insurmountable” joy.
“My heart melted every time he laughed and did the silly things he would, like get into a full dance pose every time he heard a song or when he spoke in silly voices,” she said.
“I want nothing more than to find justice,” Cloonan said. “Although it won’t bring you back into our embrace, it makes me angry because such a precious and beautiful soul did not have the opportunity to continue developing into a young man and start a family of his own while fulfilling the desires of his heart.”
Cloonan said that although he could barely pronounce the word, Aiden knew he wanted to become an entomologist someday.
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The 6-year-old would check every night before going to bed to tell his mother and sister, “Good night and sweet dreams.”
“I wanted to make sure everyone was okay before you close your eyes and end your day,” Cloonan told her son at the open casket service.
Aiden’s sister also spoke during the anniversary, recalling the tender moments the two had. She said he loves spending time with her even if she’s doing her homework or playing video games. She said she would hold on to every moment and cherish it for the rest of her life.
“I can never play ‘Mario Kart’ with my little brother or take him to the park again, and that breaks my heart,” she said. “Because of the monsters that took Aiden’s life, I will never hug my brother again.
“We were meant to grow together and help each other through life.”
Contributing: Christine Fernando and Stephen Vargas, USA Today; Associated Press
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