A 69-year-old woman was killed in an apparently failed robbery attempt at the upscale Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach on Tuesday, and three suspects were ultimately taken into custody, authorities said.
According to Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Oberon, a husband and wife were walking outside the mall near the Barnes & Noble store around 3:30 p.m. when they were approached by two male suspects who attempted to rob them. A “struggle” ensued, during which the woman was dragged into the parking lot area, where she was subsequently run over by the suspects’ white Toyota Camry, Oberon said.
One of the suspect fled the scene on foot and fired several shots while fleeing, but nobody was struck, Oberon said. The remaining suspects drove off in the Camry.
Those two suspects led authorities on a chase that led to South Gate in Los Angeles County. The driver eventually pulled into a neighborhood and both suspects tried to flee on foot, but both were taken into custody, Oberon said.
The third suspect was also arrested, possibly in Cypress, Oberon said.
The name of the woman who died was not immediately released. Oberon said her husband was not believed to have been injured.
No other injuries have been reported, Oberon said.
“It is a shock,” Oberon said. “It just doesn’t happen normally here.”
Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill lashed out at the suspects, calling them “creeps” and decrying the “stunning, staggering” attack.
“Newport Beach is a safe community and we’re mourning the loss of someone,” he said. “Frankly, to hell with these guys. … These are thugs. Every community is now dealing with this. We have to do better as a society. We cannot tolerate this.”
O’Neill praised law enforcement for collaring the three male suspects, but he said, “None of that brings her back.”
O’Neill emphasized that the mall’s owners have “phenomenal security” and that it is a safe place for shoppers.
“Frankly, I would have no problem coming back here with my family,” the mayor said.
“I’ve never witnessed anything like this,” shopper Jim Shav told freelance news agency OC Hawk. “(It’s) the first time I’ve been to the shopping center where they’ve shut down parts of it because of [a shooting].”
News video from the scene showed a police had placed a tent over the victim on a street at the center.
Police caution tape cordoned off a portion of the parking lot, blocking entry around the perimeter of Whole Foods, Barnes & Noble and Sushi Roku. The entrance from Newport Center Drive and San Miguel Drive was also partially closed off.
The robbery startled staff and shoppers at Fashion Island, at 401 Newport Center Drive, described by its owner, the Irvine Company, as “an unrivaled setting for ultra-premium shopping, dining and lifestyle brands.”
City News Service contributed to this story.