A tranquil summer afternoon at the upscale Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach turned tragic on Tuesday when a 69-year-old woman was killed during a botched robbery attempt. The incident unfolded near the Barnes & Noble bookstore, where the woman and her husband were accosted by two men. Shots were fired, but police confirmed that no one was struck by the bullets.
According to Sgt. Steven Oberon of the Newport Beach Police Department, the couple was walking at Fashion Island when the two men attempted to rob them. A struggle ensued, and the woman was dragged into a parking lot and subsequently run over by the suspects’ white Toyota Camry. The woman’s husband was believed to be uninjured, and the victims were not immediately identified.
Following the incident, police pursued the suspects in a high-speed chase that extended into Los Angeles County. The Camry reached speeds of up to 110 mph as it sped north. A television news helicopter captured footage of the car speeding into the left shoulder of the 105 Freeway and at one point grazing the concrete center median.
During the pursuit, the getaway driver allegedly let at least one accomplice out before he and another man continued to flee. The pair eventually abandoned the car in South Gate and fled on foot around Harding and Hoover avenues. News footage showed one bare-chested man being taken into custody minutes after he jumped from the driver’s side of the car. Eventually, three suspects were taken into custody.
The shooting occurred just after 3:30 p.m. at what is usually a peaceful shopping center, situated on a bluff above the ocean in the wealthy coastal community. The Newport Beach Fire Department reported finding a person dead in the parking lot adjacent to the bookstore. Authorities notified nearby residents around 4 p.m. to avoid the shopping plaza as they investigated the incident. Police were seen on-site guiding the public to safety, and helicopters were flying overhead.
A woman who was shopping in the area described the situation as a “hullabaloo.” She mentioned that she was from Los Angeles and was thankful for the quick police response. She declined to give her name. A young man who asked not to be identified said he was at Cucina enoteca in Fashion Island when the incident occurred. “About 20 people were running and screaming, ‘Someone’s shooting!’ They locked us in the restaurant,” he said.
Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill expressed his outrage over the incident. “This doesn’t happen in Newport Beach,” he told KCAL-9 News. “Fashion Island is an incredibly safe place. This is a tragedy, and I’m furious.” O’Neill lashed out at the suspects, calling them “creeps” and decrying the “stunning, staggering” attack. “Newport Beach is a safe community, and we’re mourning the loss of someone,” he said. “Frankly, to hell with these guys. These are thugs. Every community is now dealing with this. We have to do better as a society. We cannot tolerate this.”
O’Neill praised law enforcement for apprehending the three male suspects but acknowledged that “none of that brings her back.” He emphasized that the mall’s owners have “phenomenal security” and that it remains a safe place for shoppers. “Frankly, I would have no problem coming back here with my family,” the mayor added.
News video from the scene showed police had placed a tent over the victim on a street at the center. Police caution tape cordoned off a portion of the parking lot, blocking entry around the perimeter of Whole Foods, Barnes & Noble, and Sushi Roku. The entrance from Newport Center Drive and San Miguel Drive was also partially closed off.
The robbery startled staff and shoppers at Fashion Island, described by its owner, the Irvine Company, as “an unrivaled setting for ultra-premium shopping, dining, and lifestyle brands.” Despite the incident, shoppers and diners continued to visit other parts of the mall that had reopened.
Ama Lawagy, 46, was working at a hair care store just a few hundred feet from where the killing took place. “Everyone freaked out and started running,” Lawagy said. Three people ran into the store to shelter as police arrived minutes later. One woman hid with her three-year-old daughter, who was crying. The people stayed locked inside, hiding for over an hour until the police gave the all-clear.
“I’ve never witnessed anything like this,” shopper Jim Shav told freelance news agency OC Hawk. “It’s the first time I’ve been to the shopping center where they’ve shut down parts of it because of [a shooting].”
The suspects’ identities were not immediately made public, and the name of the woman who died was not released. Sgt. Oberon confirmed that no other injuries had been reported. “It is a shock,” Oberon said. “It just doesn’t happen normally here.”
An attempted robbery occurred last summer at Fashion Island, but this incident has left the community in mourning and questioning the safety of their usually serene environment. As the investigation continues, residents and visitors alike are left grappling with the tragic loss and the unsettling reality of such violence in their midst.
Source: City News Service, KCAL-9 News, OC Hawk
