police – NBC Los Angeles

Three men were arrested Tuesday afternoon after they went on a cross-county chase in Newport Beach, where they were suspected of killing an elderly woman during an attempted robbery at a shopping mall.

The series of violent events began around 3:30 p.m. when three men, one from Cypress and two from Los Angeles County, tried to rob a 69-year-old woman and her husband outside a Barnes & Noble store.

“There was a scuffle and at that point, we believe the suspects dragged her out into the street,” said Sergeant Steven Oberon of the Newport Beach Police Department.

When the suspected robbers tried to flee, two of them got into a white sedan while the third fled on foot, firing his gun “multiple times.”

As the suspects’ car drove away from the scene, it hit a woman, killing her.

“To hell with these guys,” said Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neil. “They came to our city knowing they were going to commit a crime, and today a woman died because of it.”

O’Neil also assured customers that robberies are not a regular occurrence at the popular shopping center.

“Fashion Island doesn’t experience this kind of crime, it just doesn’t,” the mayor said. “I can guarantee that our friends at Fashion Island will increase their security, increase their approach to this.”

The group traveled more than 30 miles from the Newport Beach shopping center and reached the South Gate near Harding Avenue and Paramount Boulevard near the 105 Freeway.

Police said two suspects abandoned their car in the South Gate neighborhood, separated and ran away. They were eventually apprehended.

A third person was arrested in Cyprus, about halfway between South Gate and Newport.