Reward Grows As Authorities Continue Search For Person Who Killed 6-Year-Old Aiden Leos
ORANGE (CBSLA) — What started as a $50,000 reward offered by 6-year-old Aiden Leos' family to find those responsible for his shooting death has grown to more than $300,000.
"If we can make a difference and change something, then let's all do it," the owner of Memory Lane Memorabilia in Tustin said. "The bigger the reward is gonna, we believe, will, the lips will start talking."
On Tuesday, Orange County Supervisors Don Wagner and Katrina Foley tripled the reward, putting up $50,000 each. Then, the owner of Memory Lane Memorabilia in Tustin put up another $50,000.
"I hope it gets legs," the business owner said. "I hope people realize that we need to join together and do what we can to help."
Then the owner of Ben's Asphalt in Santa Ana heard what the Tustin man did and he and his friends added yet another $50,000 to the reward pot. But it didn't stop there.
"We did $50,000 and then a friend of mine, a guy who lives in Villa Park with me, he called and he wants to put $50,000 on top of ours so that's $100,000," Bill Skeffington said.
Then one of Orange County's biggest restauranteurs donated as well.
"I think that good deeds are contagious, and the fact that Billy brought it to my attention, I think hopefully the number will get big enough," Mario Marovic said. "Somebody has to know something, and hopefully the number is going to get big enough to where instead of just wondering what's going on, people are actually going to go out and try to find out what happened."
And the reward has kept on growing.
Sean Bulman, who owns a paving company in Arizona, heard the call to action and answered.
"We are pledging $10,000 towards the reward," he said. "I'm gonna start pushing this to some local businesses here and I feel like this is something that isn't going to stop in Arizona. It's going to continue to move east and people are going to step up and help out."
Aiden was killed Friday during a reported road rage incident when someone in another car shot at the car he and his mom were in while driving on the 55 Freeway in Orange.
"Everyone jumping in, the community outreach is just unbelievable," Skeffington said. "It's definitely gotten a lot bigger than I thought it would."
And late Wednesday night, another Orange County company said it was going to donate $10,000 to the cause. More about the reward and how to report tips can be found online.
On Thursday, Aiden's sister, along with other family members, Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, and Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer held a news conference.
"Today, as we're talking about the rewards, I want to talk to the suspects. I want the two individuals in that vehicle to understand that this is Orange County, California," Spitzer said. "I spent the last thirty-two years putting people like you behind bars. It is my job as a district attorney to seek justice. And I'm running out of patience."
"The longer this goes on, you will understand this. We will catch you. We might not do it today, we might not do it tomorrow. It may not even be next week, but we solve crimes in this county that are as old as 40 and 50 years, and we never stop and never rest until we put the person into custody and get justice."
Aiden's sister Alexis Cloonan also spoke Thursday.
"Again, I would just like to say thank you on behalf of me and my mother for all the support. Aiden gets to have a funeral, as beautiful as he is and we're so, so grateful for that and the outpouring of love and support. And again, please, if you saw anything, anything at all, any dash cam footage or something suspicious, please come forward. My brother deserves justice."
