Suspect in California Freeway Shootings in Custody as Authorities Continue Search for Road Rage Killer
A spike in road rage incidents and freeway BB gun shootings has led to the death of a young boy and over a hundred damaged vehicles. Investigators have one suspect behind bars but are working to determine whether additional copycats may be responsible for the terror that has overtaken California’s Riverside Freeway.
The safety of California's highways has always been a priority for the state, yet officials have seen a slight uptick in highway deaths, especially within the past six years. 2020 saw the highest toll in California highway deaths with at least 3,723 deaths reported. This latest jump in highway BB gun shootings has many residents feeling that the streets are only getting more dangerous.
The case which has put the national spotlight on California's highway safety revolves around a six-year-old boy who was killed after a road rage incident. There are few leads in the case, with the suspect still at large, yet the public outcry has been persistent. Community members and supporters of the family have helped boost the reward fund for the capture of the boy’s killer to nearly half a million dollars over the past week.
Aiden Leos was in the backseat of his mother’s car as the two were driving to Leos’ kindergarten class. After a white sedan cut her off, the young boy’s mother, Joanna Cloonan, veered away from the vehicle. It was then that a gunshot was fired at her car. Cloonan shared with ABC News, "As I started to merge away from them, I heard a really loud noise, and my son said, 'Ow,' and I had to pull over. And he got shot.”
Information on the shooting was few and far between until a break in the case came after surveillance footage showed a white Volkswagen Golf which is believed to be the vehicle the suspects were driving. Cloonan explains that she saw one female behind the wheel and one male. The male is believed to be the shooter who fired the single shot that went through the trunk and into the back of the child’s car seat. In her interview, Cloonan explained, "I hope that people see this [interview] and understand that this is not OK, whatever and whoever these people are and for whatever reason, this is not OK." She continued, "It should never happen again. So whatever help this does, that's my intention for my son."
This tragedy is the latest in what has been a terrorizing drive along California's freeways for many drivers. Beginning in late April, motorists have been the target of high-speed shootings on the freeway, with each incident involving BB gun pellets.
According to the California Highway Patrol, for a little over a month, there have been more than 100 attacks on motorists on the Riverside (91) Freeway. The attacks spanned at least three counties. In each attack, the vehicles targeted were damaged, with many having windows blown out because of the impact of the BB pellets. There have been no serious injuries.
District Attorney Mike Hestrin explained, “Shooting at moving vehicles with a BB gun or pellet gun while traveling at high speed on our roads or freeways is incredibly dangerous,” Hestrin adds, “Shooting out windows of cars could easily startle drivers in traffic and cause a major accident. We are all relieved that no one was seriously injured by these crimes.”
Throughout the investigation, it was unclear whether the attacks were done by one perpetrator or if there were several involved, including copycats. After follow-ups with motorists and an influx of tips by drivers, authorities were able to narrow down a suspect who was identified by other drivers because of his dark red SUV that was missing tags on the back. Authorities identified the suspect as 34-year-old Jesse Leal Rodriguez.
A spokesman for the DA’s office, John Hall explained, “We filed the charges, supported by the evidence provided to us in the case, that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury.”
Rodriguez on the other hand denies all involvement in the attacks. He shared in a jailhouse interview, “They are trying to get me to confess to things I didn’t do. I didn’t do any of them.” He adds, “Not one person has reported that they saw me shoot.”
Early last week, a Tesla that was the target of a BB gun shooting recorded footage of a vehicle that matched the description of Rodriguez’s vehicle, though Rodriguez contends that he was at an auto parts store during that time. The evening the Tesla was shot at, officers pulled over Rodriguez’s vehicle and found a BB gun, BB pellets, and other “related items.”
Rodriguez is linked to only the shooting aimed at the Tesla; however, he is currently being investigated in six other shootings on the freeway. During his arraignment last Tuesday, Rodriguez pled not guilty to attempted murder charges and assault charges. His bail was set at $1 million.
California Highway Patrol’s Steven Cuevas shared with the public, “Rodriguez is suspected of 7 cases of firing a BB gun at occupied vehicles while those vehicles were being driven.” Cuevas adds, “Rodriguez was in possession of a BB gun and his vehicle was identified. Numerous CHP areas are currently investigating well over 100 similar incidents, some of which could possibly be linked to Rodriguez.”
