NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — A 69-year-old woman was killed during an attempted robbery at Fashion Island in Newport Beach on Tuesday afternoon, police said.
Officers responded to the area near Barnes. Around 3:30pm at Noble Bookstore
According to Newport Beach Police, a woman and her husband were walking when they were suddenly approached by two suspects.
Police say the suspects tried to rob the couple, got into a fight and then tried to flee in a white Toyota Camry.
“One of the suspects fled the scene in a vehicle that actually struck the female victim,” Newport Beach police spokesman Steve Oberon said. “The male suspect then fled the scene and returned to his vehicle, at which point several rounds were fired from a handgun and the vehicle fled the scene.”
Initial reports said a woman had been shot, but police later confirmed she had been killed after being struck by a Camry. Police said no one was killed in the shooting.
During the robbery, one of the suspects dragged the woman across the street, police said at a news conference Tuesday.
After a short pursuit, a total of three suspects were taken into custody.
One suspect was arrested in Cypress and two others were arrested in South Gate in Los Angeles County, police said.
AIR7 captured footage of several Newport Beach police officers surrounding a Southgate home, some with their guns drawn and facing the rear of the home.
Shopping mall horror
Amid the chaos, a woman who works just a few doors down from where the shooting happened said she didn’t understand what was happening at first.
“A woman came in with her daughter and was yelling, ‘There’s a shooter! There’s a shooter,'” she recalled. “They ended up blocking the store with a bunch of people inside and making people wait.”
Employees said the store was on lockdown for about an hour before everyone was released.
“There were a lot of people who were scared. It’s very scary when you’re doing your job,” she said.
This is an ongoing story and this article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.
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