A New Zealand woman was tragically killed right before her husband‘s eyes during a robbery attempt outside a high-end California mall.
New Zealand woman run over by thieves
Patricia McKay, 68, was with her spouse outside the Barnes & Noble at the Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach, when two men tried to steal from them on Tuesday afternoon.
There was a “struggle” between the attackers and the couple, which one suspect ran from as he fired several shots at the married pair.
In a horrifying turn, McKay was somehow dragged into the parking lot as the two assailants hopped into a Toyota Camry driven by a third getaway driver was waiting.
That’s when they ran over McKay while speeding away and continuing to fire bullets, which fortunately hit no bystanders and left her husband unharmed.
They led police over county lines in a high-speed chase that exceeded over 100mph and took them into Los Angeles County.
CBS reports indicate that two men exited the vehicle near Los Alamitos and began running through a nearby neighborhood.
Suspects who killed New Zealand woman caught
One suspect was found hiding behind trash cans outside a house and was subsequently arrested. Two additional suspects were also apprehended later.
The suspects were identified by as Jaden Cunningham, 18, of Lancaster, Malachi Eddward Darnell, 18, of Los Angeles, and Leroyernest Joseph McCrary, 26, of Compton.
All three face charges of homicide, armed robbery, and conspiracy.
“It is a shock,” Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Oberon remarked about the violent incident. “This just doesn’t happen here.”
Mayor Will O’Neill expressed his outrage upon learning of the attack, describing it as “staggering.”
“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.
“Frankly, to hell with these guys. … These are thugs,” O’Neill added. “Every community is now dealing with this. We have to do better as a society. We cannot tolerate this.”
Carjacker dumps baby on the side of the road
In a separate incident across the country, a carjacker abandoned a three-year-old girl by the side of a high-traffic road after stealing the vehicle.
The car was stolen and the girl was incidentally kidnapped when her mother stepped out of the vehicle following a minor accident in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The suspect, 35-year-old Willio Petioma, jacked the car while the girl’s mother and the other driver were exchanging insurance cards.
Petioma took off while the child was still in the backseat. The distraught mother clung to the passenger door, screaming at the thief as he drove away, but was eventually dislodged when her grip failed.
Security footage captured Petioma pulling over under a bridge, unstrapping the child, and leaving her on the sidewalk before driving off again.
He later abandoned the vehicle on a side street and made off with items from the car.
He was caught on cameras entering a Family Dollar store and using the woman’s credit card to make a purchase.
Authorities started a manhunt, using the video to identify Petioma, who now faces charges of kidnapping, carjacking, interfering with custody, and illegal use of a credit card.
He also had an outstanding warrant for cocaine possession and resisting an officer in Palm Beach County. The suspect was thankfully caught on Sunday by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
Ranger shot during incident at Yellowstone
Elsewhere in Wyoming, an armed suspect was fatally shot during a gunfight with Yellowstone National Park rangers on Thursday morning.
Rangers had responded to a report of a man wielding a firearm and making threats towards other park-goers.
When they attempted to engage the suspect, who has still not been named, the situation escalated into a shootout.
The shooting scene, located at Canyon Village—the largest lodging property in the park—has been closed to the public during the ensuing criminal investigation.
The FBI is in charge of the case, which has been labeled “a significant law enforcement incident” by the park in a tweet.
According to a press release from the National Park Service (NPS), a ranger sustained injuries during the shootout and was transported to a hospital in stable condition.
