Woman fatally wounded at Fashion Island in daytime robbery Tuesday

A 69-year-old woman was fatally wounded during a daytime robbery Tuesday afternoon at Fashion Island, according to the Newport Beach Police Department.

City News Service reported the incident happened in front of the Barnes & Noble bookstore. Initial reports indicated one of the suspects opened fire as the suspects escaped. Police said no one was struck by the gunfire, but that the woman who died was struck by the suspects’ car as they attempted to flee.

All three suspects connected with the crime are in custody.

Sgt. Steven Oberon of the Newport Beach Police Department said in a news conference Tuesday that a husband and wife were walking at Fashion Island when they were approached at around 3:30 p.m. by two male suspects who attempted to rob them. A struggle ensued, and the woman was then dragged into a parking lot and subsequently was run over by the suspects’ white Toyota Camry.

The woman was not identified and her husband is believed to be uninjured.

One suspect fled on foot while the others drove off.

Residents were notified at around 4 p.m. by authorities to avoid the shopping plaza as they investigated the incident. Police were seen at the center guiding the public to safety and helicopters were flying overhead.

A white tent was set up nearby the Bloomingdale’s at Fashion Island on Tuesday afternoon as Newport Beach police investigated a shooting.

(Susan Hoffman)

A woman who declined to give her name but was shopping in the area described the situation to the Daily Pilot as a “hullabaloo,” noting that she was from Los Angeles and was thankful that police responded quickly. She said she’d heard on the social platform X that officers caught the suspects in a car chase in the city, aligning with KCAL9 reports that indicated two suspects related to that shooting led police on a chase to South Gate, where both suspects were taken into custody near Lincoln Avenue and Paramount Boulevard.

Oberon said the third was also taken into custody, in Cypress.

A young man who asked not to be identified said he was at CUCINA enoteca in Fashion Island Tuesday afternoon when the incident occurred.

“About 20 people were running and screaming, ‘Someone’s shooting!’ They locked us in the restaurant, and I hear for sure one person was dead and I think several injured,” he said.

Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill said at the news conference, “Newport Beach is a safe community and we’re mourning the loss of someone. Frankly, to hell with these guys. ... These are thugs. Every community is now dealing with this. We have to do better as a society. We cannot tolerate this.”

An attempted robbery occurred last summer at Fashion Island.

This story will be updated when more information becomes available.