Two men in luxury vehicles were targeted by armed suspects who attempted to steal their vehicles at the Fashion Island mall, police say.
According to Lt. Mike Shiavi with the Newport Beach Police Department, officers received a call regarding a possible robbery with shots fired in the mall parking lot around 11:26 p.m. Monday.
The initial investigation revealed that the two men, said to be friends, were in a white Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV and a yellow Ferrari when they were approached by three suspects wearing ski masks, one of whom was armed with a handgun.
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The driver of the Rolls-Royce had his watch and wallet stolen from him but he was not injured, Lt. Shiavi confirmed. The driver of the Ferrari was able to get away without being robbed, but the armed suspect opened fire at least once, striking and shattering the car’s window.
He eventually stopped at a Chevron gas station down the street where he realized he suffered cuts due to the broken glass, police said. Nothing was stolen from him.
The suspects are described as three men who fled the area in a blue Kia sedan. As of 6 a.m. Tuesday, they had not been apprehended.
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The driver of a Rolls-Royce SUV was the target of an attempted carjacking at the Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach, CA, on Aug. 26, 2024. (OnSceneTV) -
The driver of a yellow Ferrari was the target of an attempted carjacking at the Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach, CA, on Aug. 26, 2024. (OnSceneTV)
A woman who regularly shops at the mall and lives down the street says that she is “in shock” and worried about the uptick in crime in the area.
“There’s been so much of this stuff in our neighborhood,” said Angie Francis. “It’s scary…I’d rather not go to a mall and fear for my life.”
“[It’s the same at] the South Coast Plaza [in Costa Mesa]…they are robbing stores so frequently and getting away with it,” Francis added. “What are we supposed to do?”
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Monday night’s attempted carjacking comes two months after a 69-year-old woman from New Zealand was fatally run over by three suspects fleeing the scene of a robbery at the sprawling high-end shopping center.
The three suspects in that case were arrested after leading police on a high-speed chase into Los Angeles County. They could face the death penalty, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
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