A group of suspects led police on a cross-county pursuit after allegedly opening fire and running over a woman at the Fashion Island Mall.
Newport Police Department detectives said the incident started at about 3:30 p.m. when the suspects robbed a 69-year-old woman and her husband outside the Barnes and Noble. The suspects then jumped into a white car and ran over the woman, killing her.
Officers said the suspects then opened fire as they drove away.
The Newport Beach Fire Department said when they arrived at the area, they found a person dead in the parking lot just outside of the shopping center's Barnes and Noble.
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Witnesses said they heard three to four gunshots before everyone tried to find cover. Officers asked residents to avoid the area while they continued their investigation.
"I expected to go and fix my sunglasses," shopper Rachel West said. "I didn't know that there was going to be a crime scene and dead body when I got here."
Authorities started chasing the alleged suspects shortly after the shooting. The car led police into Los Angeles County after a pair of suspects jumped out near Los Alamitos.
The suspects hit 110 mph while on the westbound 105 Freeway. After exiting the freeway, two more men jumped out of the car and started running around a nearby South Gate neighborhood.
Police found one of the suspects hiding behind trash cans at a nearby house.
Officers were able to locate and arrest three suspects, including the one found hiding behind trash cans in South Gate.
Initial reports from the scene suggested the fatality was due to the shooting, which turned out to be incorrect.
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