A group of Los Angeles criminals accused of killing a woman outside an upscale Newport Beach mall targeted the prominent couple after spotting them with expensive items.
Doug McKay, a New Zealand businessman, was wearing an expensive watch and his wife, Patricia “Trish” McKay, carried bags full of designer items from their shopping trip as they left the mall on July 2, prosecutors say. according to the Los Angeles Times.
The items apparently caught the attention of Leroy McCrary, 26, and Malachi Darnell, 18, both of Los Angeles, and Jaden Cunningham, 18, of Lancaster, California, who reportedly approached the couple as they waited for their taxi outside the Barnes & Noble store.
They pulled up next to the couple and two masked men, later identified as Darnell and Cunningham, jumped out of the car.
Doug and Patricia McKay were reportedly targeted by a group of Los Angeles criminals as they left an upscale Newport Beach shopping mall
One of the suspects allegedly put a gun to 69-year-old McKay’s head, took the watch he was wearing and forced him to the ground.
Another dragged his 68-year-old wife into the street in front of the Camry as he tried to grab her shopping bags.
Doug reportedly jumped in front of the car to protect his wife, but McCrary — with Darnell in the back — accelerated, forcing his husband out of the way.
He then allegedly ran over McKay, pinned her under the vehicle and dragged her 20 metres until she died.
Doug, former chairman of the Bank of New Zealand, was not injured in the incident.
The suspects are accused of attempting to rob the prominent couple, after which they ran over and killed Patricia McKay.
Meanwhile, Cunningham continued to run toward the moving getaway vehicle and attempted to jump in, while a Good Samaritan chased him and attempted to stop him.
But police say the pursuer gave up the chase when Darnell fired three shots at him from the Toyota, allowing Cunningham and his two accomplices to escape. No one was hit by the gunfire.
The men then fled north toward Los Angeles, with the Toyota reaching speeds of up to 110 mph (177 km/h).
As the car sped through Los Angeles County, Cunningham jumped out of the car and was arrested, police said.
McCrary and Darnell were later arrested in a residential area in South Gate.
Police have arrested Leroy McCrary McCrary, pictured, after a high-speed chase
McCrary and his accomplices now face charges of murder and robbery
All three suspects now face charges of aggravated murder, which makes them eligible for the death penalty, and second-degree robbery.
In addition, Darnell is charged with attempted murder and discharge of a firearm after allegedly shooting the Good Samaritan.
And McCrary, who police said was the driver, was also charged with evading police through reckless driving.
They all have to appear in court again on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County Sheriff George Gascon is growing furious over his decision to release McCrary on probation rather than keep him behind bars for a string of previous convictions in Los Angeles, including one last year for a similar robbery.
Prosecutors said McCrary had previous convictions for burglary in 2018, criminal threats in 2020 and robbery in 2023 before last week’s robbery and murder.
Last year, he pleaded no contest to a charge of theft plus another of being a drug addict in possession of a firearm. Yet he was sentenced to only two years of probation and a three-year prison sentence was suspended, leaving him free to walk the streets.
“Our malls and shopping centers have become hunting grounds for criminals who prey on innocent shoppers to rob them blind because our governor and our legislature refuse to hold anyone accountable for their actions,” said Todd Spitzer, Orange County’s Republican district attorney, as he announced the charges against the three men.
He said McKay’s killing was a crime “that should never have happened,” adding: “Lawlessness and violence will not be tolerated in our society.”
McCrary, pictured, has a criminal past, including a chillingly similar robbery in another upscale beach community
Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill also reacted angrily to McKay’s horrific murder, saying McCrary “did not belong in a free society” because of his past crimes.
“Honestly, to hell with these guys… These are thugs. Every community is dealing with this right now. We have to do better as a society. We can’t tolerate this.”
When asked why McCrary did not receive a prison sentence for his prior crimes, Gascon said in a statement that “the case against him had significant evidentiary problems,” so “the court’s management team approved a plea agreement that allowed him to be placed on supervised release,” plus a suspended sentence.
