A tragic and shocking incident unfolded at the Fashion Island Mall yesterday, leading to a cross-county police pursuit.
The Newport Police Department reported that the chaos began around 3:30 pm when a group of suspects allegedly robbed a 68-year-old woman from New Zealand and her husband outside the Barnes and Noble store. The suspects then fled in a white car, tragically running over the woman and killing her in the process.
As the suspects sped away, they opened fire, causing further panic among shoppers.
Mayor Will O'Neill expressed his deep sorrow and anger over the incident. "I'm horrified. I'm mourning the loss of someone who died inside of our city because of crime ... This is a tragedy and I'm furious," he stated.
The Newport Beach Fire Department quickly arrived at the scene, finding the victim deceased in the parking lot outside the Barnes and Noble.
"These are thugs and every community is now dealing with this," O'Neill continued. "We have to do better as a society because we cannot tolerate this."
Witnesses described the terrifying moment they heard three to four gunshots, prompting everyone to seek cover. The police advised residents to avoid the area while they conducted their investigation.
Shopper Rachel West recounted her shock, "I expected to go and fix my sunglasses. I didn't know that there was going to be a crime scene and a dead body when I got here."
The suspects led authorities on a high-speed chase into Los Angeles County. The pursuit reached speeds of up to 110 mph on the westbound 105 Freeway. Two suspects jumped out of the car near Los Alamitos, while two more fled into a South Gate neighbourhood.
Police managed to apprehend three suspects, including one found hiding behind trash cans at a nearby house.
Initially, police reported the victim’s age as 69, but later confirmed she was a 68-year-old woman from New Zealand.
