Three Los Angeles County men have been charged with murder in the death of a 68-year-old New Zealand woman during a robbery at Fashion Island in Newport Beach earlier this week.
Prosecutors announced Friday that three men, one of whom is a third striker, will be charged with special circumstance murder in the fatal shooting of a woman identified as Patricia McKay, who was robbed Tuesday and then thrown onto the street by suspects, according to a statement from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
The assailants then ran her over with their car just outside the popular shopping center, Barnes & Noble, and dragged her for approximately 65 feet before she fell from under the car.
“The woman’s husband attempted to stop a driver from running over his wife after being thrown to the ground and held at gunpoint by two men who had attempted to steal his watch,” according to the OCDA release.
Prosecutors said the New Zealand couple were waiting to get into their car when the suspects’ vehicle pulled up next to them and two masked men jumped out, pointed a gun at the victim’s husband, 69, demanded his watch and then threw him to the ground.
Unable to seize the watch, the officers then turned their attention to Ms McKay, who was carrying several shopping bags, throwing her to the ground and dragging her onto the road in front of the getaway car, which then sped off at a high rate of speed.
As they fled in a vehicle, one of the suspects was left behind and ran to catch up with him, with a good Samaritan following close behind. Investigators say one of the robbers, who was in the vehicle, fired multiple shots at the good Samaritan. No one was injured in the gunfire.
The suspects fled the scene and then engaged in a high-speed police pursuit that continued through the southern tip of Los Angeles County, at times reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph.
The pursuit eventually ended in the Cypress area when two of the suspects jumped out of the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. The driver was quickly arrested, and the other two were found behind a trash can in Southgate and taken into custody.
The suspects have been identified as Leroy Ernest Joseph McCrary, 26, of Los Angeles, Malachi Edward Darnell, 18, of Los Angeles, and Jayden Cunningham, 18, of Lancaster.
All three men, who are being held without bail, face the death penalty if convicted of the special circumstance murder of victim Patricia McKay, which includes the aggravated felony of causing the death of a person 65 or older, according to the statement.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said the three deserved the death penalty. In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom implemented a moratorium on executions in California.
McCrary has felony convictions for burglary in 2018, criminal intimidation in 2020 and robbery in 2023, and is also charged with one felony count of attempted second-degree robbery and one felony count of fleeing by reckless driving.
Darnell was charged with two felony counts of attempted second-degree robbery and attempted murder, as well as two felony counts of personal use of a firearm and personal discharge of a firearm.
Cunningham was also charged with one felony count of attempted second-degree robbery.
“Our entire community sends our deepest condolences to Patricia McKay’s loved ones and all of New Zealand for her senseless death from a crime that should never have happened. Lawlessness and violence have no place in our society,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Our shopping centers and malls have become hunting grounds for criminals who stalk and rob innocent shoppers because our Governor and Legislature refuse to hold anyone accountable for their actions. … This is Orange County and we refuse to accept that this is the new normal. Criminals will be held accountable and violence will never be tolerated.”
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Dean Fioresi