A New Zealand woman who was murdered in front of her horrified husband at an upmarket California shopping centre by a gang of robbers has been photographed for the first time.
Patricia ‘Trish’ McKay, 68, and her husband Doug were at the Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach when they were approached by two men on Tuesday.
A struggle ensued and one of the men fled the scene on foot, firing several shots from a handgun as he did so, according to reports.
They then dragged McKay to the parking lot while the two men got into a car driven by a third man.
As the suspects fled, they ran over McKay and continued shooting while leading police on a high-speed chase.
Patricia ‘Trish’ McKay, 68, and her husband Doug, seen here, were at the Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach when they were approached by two men on Tuesday.
A fight ensued and one of the men fled the scene on foot and fired several shots with a handgun, according to reports. The mall is seen here
The McKay family said in a statement: ‘There are no words that can express our sadness as we try to come to terms with the loss of our mother, wife and friend Patricia.
‘We ask for privacy at this time as we work through this as a family.’
McKay and her husband had lived in Auckland, and her neighbours told the New Zealand Herald they were shocked by her death.
One person told the outlet that McKay had just begun to enjoy life as a grandmother, something she “loved.”
“We are all in shock. She was a very, very beautiful woman,” the neighbour added, while another said it was “very tragic.”
Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon posted on social media: ‘My thoughts are with the McKay family following the devastating loss of Trish.
“They are wonderful people and my heart goes out to Doug, his family and everyone who knew Trish.”
Meanwhile, Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson added: “I am beyond devastated. Trish was amazing – funny, loyal and caring.
“My condolences to Doug and his family. We are in shock.”
Police tracked suspects after a violent attack in Los Angeles County after a pair of suspects jumped near Los Alamitos.
As the suspects fled, they ran over McKay and continued shooting as police pursued them at high speed. Here you can see one of them being arrested.
All three were arrested on suspicion of murder, armed robbery and conspiracy.
The suspects’ car reached speeds of 110 mph during the chase on the 105 Freeway. Two of them jumped out of the car and began running through a neighborhood in South Gate.
Police found one of the men hiding behind trash cans outside a home and arrested him.
Two other suspects in the fatal attack were also located and arrested.
Newport Beach police officials identified the suspects as Jaden Cunningham, 18, of Lancaster, Malachi Edward Darnell, 18, of Los Angeles, and Leroyernest Joseph McCrary, 26, of Compton.
All three were arrested on suspicion of murder, armed robbery and conspiracy.
According to the LA Times, McCrary has a criminal history in Los Angeles County and was arrested in October 2022 for being a narcotics addict in possession of a firearm.
The following year he pleaded guilty to the felony and in September 2023 he was charged in a robbery case and again pleaded guilty.
Prosecutor George Gascón, pictured here, is a progressive prosecutor who has been outspoken in his belief that the criminal justice system should focus more on intervention and rehabilitation.
He received a concurrent sentence for both convictions and received two years of probation and three years of state prison, with the sentence suspended.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is a progressive prosecutor who has been outspoken in his belief that the criminal justice system should focus more on intervention and rehabilitation, and has criticized “tough on crime” policies as racist and a failure.
Mayor Will O’Neill said he was “furious” after hearing the news of the attack, which he described as “shocking.”
“I am horrified. I am mourning the loss of someone who died within our city because of a crime. This is a tragedy and I am furious.
“Newport Beach is a safe community and we are mourning the loss of someone,” he said.
“Frankly, to hell with these guys… They are bullies. Every community is dealing with this right now. We have to do better as a society. We cannot tolerate this.”
