Two people have been arrested in the alleged road rage shooting death of 6-year-old Aiden Leos, who died in his mother’s arms on the 55 Freeway in Orange last month.
Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley said the two suspects were arrested in Costa Mesa in front of a restaurant.
No further details were immediately available.
The arrest came a day after a memorial for Aiden was held.
There has been an outpouring of public grief in the aftermath of the death of Aiden, who was being taken by his mother to kindergarten. The reward for information about the shooting quickly grew to $500,000, with donations coming from politicians, a local cafe owner and many others.
On the morning of May 21, Aiden was riding in a booster seat in the back of his mother’s car.
His mother later told another motorist that she and her son were in the carpool lane when she started switching lanes to exit and another car cut her off.
She gestured at the people inside and continued trying to get off the freeway. A bullet entered her car from the rear.
She pulled over and took the bleeding boy into her arms.
The California Highway Patrol has released photos of a white 2018 or 2019 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen that investigators suspect a female was driving when a man in the passenger seat fired the gun.
During the memorial, which was streamed live for the public, Aiden’s mother, sister Alexis and grandmother recalled memories of the young boy, who they described as a “little empath,” mature beyond his years.
Alexis said her little brother was an “angel, too pure and innocent for this world.” Her voice trembled when she recalled how Aiden would call her “beautiful” or “so lovely.”
