Tourist killed in Southern California mall robbery identified

Authorities have released the identity of the tourist killed during a robbery at the upscale Fashion Island shopping center in Newport Beach on Tuesday.

According to Newport Beach police, 68-year-old Patricia McKay was walking with her husband when they were attacked by two thieves with a gun outside the mall’s Barnes and Noble bookstore around 3:30 p.m.

A scuffle ensued, and a third person driving the getaway vehicle, a white Toyota Camry, pulled up to the scene. One of the robbers fired several shots, and all three fled in the sedan, running over McKay as they drove away, police said.

McKay, who was visiting from New Zealand, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband was unharmed and no one was hit by the gunfire.

Police found the Camry a short time later, but the driver sped away, the NBPD said. Officers pursued the car north on the 405 Freeway and eventually into Cypress, where the suspects abandoned the car and attempted to flee, but did not get far.

Leroyernest Joseph McCrary, 28, of Compton, Jaden Cunningham, 18, of Lancaster and Malachi Darnell, 18, of Los Angeles, were arrested and charged with murder, robbery with a firearm and conspiracy.

At a press conference Tuesday evening, Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill praised police for quickly arresting the suspects, while expressing sadness and anger at the audacity of the crime.

“Honestly, to hell with these guys,” O’Neill told reporters. “They knew exactly what they were doing when they decided to come to our city to commit a crime, and a woman died because of it.”

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact NBPD Detective K Markwald at [email protected].