News
Suspects ID’d in deadly attempted robbery of 68-year-old Patricia McKay at Fashion Island in Newport Beach
All three were booked on suspicion of homicide, robbery with a firearm, and conspiracy.
A 68-year-old woman visiting from New Zealand, identified as Patricia McKay, was struck and killed by a suspect’s vehicle during a failed robbery attempt at Fashion Island in Newport Beach.
The names of the three suspects in custody were also released on Wednesday.
The Newport Beach Police Department identified the suspects as 18-year-old Jaden Cunningham of Lancaster, 18-year-old Malachi Eddward Darnell of Los Angeles, and 26-year-old Leroyernest Joseph McCrary of Compton.
All three were booked on suspicion of homicide, robbery with a firearm, and conspiracy.
The fatal incident occurred on Tuesday around 3:30 p.m. near the Barnes & Noble bookstore at the popular shopping mall.
The Newport Beach Police Department reported that McKay and her husband were walking when two suspects approached them.
An attempted robbery ensued, leading to a struggle. The suspects then tried to escape in a white Toyota Camry.
“One of the suspects ran on foot while the vehicle fled, striking the female victim,” said Officer Steve Oberon, a spokesman for the Police Department. “The suspect on foot re-entered the vehicle, at which point shots were fired from a handgun as the vehicle fled the scene.”
Initial reports that the woman had been shot were incorrect; investigators later confirmed she had been fatally struck by the Camry.
No one was hit by gunfire, police stated. During a press conference on Tuesday, police revealed that at one point, one of the suspects had dragged the woman on the street during the robbery.
Oberon mentioned that her husband was not believed to be injured. The three suspects were apprehended after a brief pursuit: one was arrested in Cypress, and the other two were arrested in South Gate, according to authorities.
