On a sunny afternoon at an upscale Newport Beach mall, a botched robbery turned deadly when a tourist was killed in the crossfire. The tragic incident shocked the community and raised concerns about safety and security in popular tourist destinations.
The victim, a young woman visiting from out of town, was simply enjoying a day of shopping when she became an unintended target in the chaotic scene. Witnesses described hearing gunshots and seeing panicked shoppers fleeing for safety as the situation quickly escalated.
Three Los Angeles area men have been arrested by Newport Beach Police for fatally hitting a 68-year-old tourist from New Zealand with a getaway vehicle as they fled the scene of Tuesday's botched armed robbery attempt at the luxury mall Fashion Island.
A memorial was growing Wednesday outside the Barnes and Noble where McKay died, with one message reading "Stop the senseless thefts!"
Following the deadly attempted robbery, police and mall security noticeably increased their patrol Wednesday at Fashion Island.
"It’s scary, and it’s not surprising when you’ve said it’s okay to be criminals," said Martha Bayer, a shopper.
"One of the suspects ran while the vehicle fled and actually struck the female victim," said Officer Steve Oberon, a Police Department spokesman. "The male suspect that ran got back into the vehicle, at which point some rounds were fired from a handgun and the vehicle fled the scene."
The three suspects were taken into custody after a brief pursuit: One was arrested in Cypress and two others were arrested in South Gate, authorities said. Initial reports that the woman had been shot were unfounded. Investigators later confirmed she had been fatally struck by the Camry. No one was struck by gunfire, police said.
During Tuesday's incident at the mall, one of the men fired a handgun three times during the robbery, but no one was struck by gunfire, police said.
In response to the incident, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer released a statement, criticizing Governor Gavin Newsom for his crime policies, saying Newsom is “too busy running for President to be a problem-solving Governor for California.”
Newport Beach Mayor William O'Neill called the suspected killers "thugs" and posted the Newport Beach Police press release with condolences for the victim's family.
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