Orange County prosecutor Todd Spitzer’s office recently announced that three suspects robbed a 68-year-old woman from New Zealand at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, then fatally ran her over while attempting to escape in a car. The three are charged with special circumstances murder and could face the death penalty.
The suspects are Leroy Ernest Joseph McCrary, 26, and Malachi Eddward Darnell, 18, from Los Angeles, as well as Jaden Cunningham, 18, from Lancaster.
On the 2nd of this month, New Zealand tourists Patricia and Doug McKay were waiting for their car after shopping at Fashion Island. A white Toyota Camry pulled up next to them, and two masked men, Darnell and Cunningham, got out of the car. They attacked Doug, pointing a gun at his head, demanding his watch, and pushing him to the ground.
Cunningham is accused of assaulting Patricia, throwing her to the ground, stealing her shopping bag, and dragging her in front of the car driven by McCrary. Doug attempted to intervene by jumping in front of the car to protect his wife from being run over. McCrary accelerated, driving away and dragging Patricia about 65 feet.
As McCrary fled in the car and ran over Patricia, Cunningham tried to catch up to the vehicle. A bystander tried to stop him from getting back into the car, so Darnell shot at the bystander. Cunningham then caught up to McCrary’s car.
Following the incident, police arrested Cunningham in Cypress and McCrary and Darnell in South Gate. The three suspects are being held in custody without bail.
In addition to the special circumstances murder charge, the three face other charges. McCrary, the oldest, faces charges of attempted second-degree robbery and reckless driving causing injury. He has a history of serious crimes, including burglary in 2018, threat crimes in 2020, and robbery in 2023, all in Los Angeles County.
Darnell faces additional charges of attempted second-degree robbery, attempted murder, personal firearm use, and discharging a firearm. Cunningham faces a charge of attempted second-degree robbery.
According to New Zealand media reports, Doug McKay was a former chairperson of the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) board and he and his wife are friends of the current New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
Spitzer expressed condolences to McKay’s family and all of New Zealand, stating that her senseless death due to the crime was tragic. He emphasized that society will not tolerate criminal and violent acts, and criminals will be held accountable, stressing that violence will never be accepted.
Spitzer also criticized the increasing crime rates targeting innocent shoppers at shopping centers and malls, citing the lack of accountability by state officials and legislative bodies. He pointed out that consequences should follow criminal actions and that policies promoting crime and compromising public safety should not result in the death of an elderly woman enjoying a shopping outing with her husband. elected leaders in Sacramento should realize the consequences of their soft crime policies that encourage criminal behavior while sacrificing public safety.