As RedState reported, a botched daylight robbery at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, California, left a 69-year-old woman dead when the suspects hit her with their getaway car while fleeing the scene.
Newport Beach Police identified the woman as Patricia (Trish) McKay of New Zealand. She and her husband, a prominent businessman, were visiting the upscale mall when they were accosted, and the attempted robbery occurred. A New Zealand publication describes her as a doting grandmother who was in California visiting her family.
Robbery Investigation Update pic.twitter.com/II2GqmJf24
— Newport Beach Police (@NewportBeachPD) July 3, 2024
The three suspects fled the scene with the Newport Beach Police Department in hot pursuit. The high-speed chase further endangered lives.
After the incident, police pursued the three men into Los Angeles County. Authorities reported that the Camry reached speeds of up to 110 mph as it sped north. A television news helicopter captured video of the car speeding on the left shoulder of the 105 Freeway and at one point grazing the concrete center median.
During the pursuit, police said, the getaway driver let at least one accomplice out in Cypress before he and another man sped on. The pair eventually jumped out of the car in South Gate, fleeing on foot around Harding and Hoover avenues, according to police and video of the chase shown on multiple news stations.
News video showed one bare-chested man being taken into custody minutes after he jumped from the driver’s side of the car. One passenger was found in a residential backyard by police, who also found a firearm nearby, California Highway Patrol Officer Sonia Guzman said.
Eventually, three people were taken into custody, police said.
No big surprise that these miscreants were from Los Angeles County. You see, these criminals really want to be in jail, but Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón robs them of this opportunity with his soft-on-crime policies and light sentencing of repeat offenders. So, they have to go over to Orange County to commit crimes, knowing full well that if caught, they'll have the book thrown at them. Sarcastic, yes, but not without strains of truth. Fox News Correspondent Bill Melugin connects the dots, outlining one of the armed would-be-robber/murderer's criminal history.
NEW: Newport Beach PD identifies the three suspects arrested for the attempted robbery & broad daylight killing of a 68-year-old woman at Fashion Island who was visiting from New Zealand.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) July 3, 2024
26 y/o Leroyernest McCrary of Compton.
18 y/o Malachi Darnell of Los Angeles.
18 y/o Jaden…
NEW: Newport Beach PD identifies the three suspects arrested for the attempted robbery & broad daylight killing of a 68-year-old woman at Fashion Island who was visiting from New Zealand.
26 y/o Leroyernest McCrary of Compton.
18 y/o Malachi Darnell of Los Angeles.
18 y/o Jaden Cunningham of Lancaster.
They've been booked for homicide, robbery with a firearm, and conspiracy - after leading police on a pursuit into LA. Unlike LA, OC doesn't treat criminals with bubble wrap. Expect DA Todd Spitzer to come down hard on them.
Frankly, if Spitzer were legally allowed to put them under the jail, he probably would — that's how serious he is about prosecuting criminals. Melugin invokes the name of the L.A. County DA as having allowed the oldest suspect, 26-year-old Leroyernest McCrary, to basically walk away from multiple felonies. What. A. Shock.
NEW: The LA Times reports one of the suspects has a lengthy criminal history in LA County. He should have been locked up for prior felonies, but he did no prison time in yet another soft on crime prosecution under LA DA George Gascon.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) July 3, 2024
“[McCrary] was arrested and charged in…
NEW: The LA Times reports one of the suspects has a lengthy criminal history in LA County. He should have been locked up for prior felonies, but he did no prison time in yet another soft on crime prosecution under LA DA George Gascon. “[McCrary] was arrested and charged in October 2022 with being a narcotics addict in possession of a firearm, a felony. He pleaded no contest to that felony charge the October of the following year. McCrary also was charged in a robbery case in September 2023 and pleaded no contest. He received a concurrent sentence for both convictions and got two years of probation and three years in state prison, with the sentence suspended. McCrary also was arrested on suspicion of driving with a suspended license in both 2018 and 2021.”
As one report indicates, McCrary had felony charges pending when he committed the 2022 robbery in Santa Monica. McCrary and his cohort entered the courthouse to be arraigned on those charges when they were arrested for the robbery. You cannot make this stuff up.
Had McCrary been properly sentenced and serving time, Trish McKay would be alive today, doting on her grandbabies. This is yet another tragic outcome of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's criminal justice reform policies.
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