Suspect in brutal shopping mall murder got no jail time from left-wing prosecutor after previous felony arrest: Report



One of the suspects accused of brutally murdering a 68-year-old woman outside a posh mall in Newport Beach last week reportedly got no jail time from the office of left-wing Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón after a previous felony arrest.

Citing interviews and records it reviewed, the Los Angeles Times reported that the murder suspect in question — 26-year-old Leroy Ernest Joseph McCrary — was placed on probation for stealing a Rolex at gunpoint in Santa Monica in 2022, avoiding prison time after L.A. County prosecutors agreed to a three-year suspended sentence.

The Times added that Nathan Hochman — Gascón’s opponent in this November's election — said Gascón’s 'malpractice appears to have cost another life.'

The Orange County District Attorney's Office said McCrary on July 2 ran over New Zealander tourist Patricia McKay and dragged her body 65 feet amid a violent robbery of the victim and her 69-year-old husband at the Fashion Island mall, adding that McCrary is eligible for the death penalty if convicted of a special circumstances murder charge.

Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

McCrary faces additional felony charges of attempted second-degree robbery and evading while driving recklessly, the Orange County DA's office said, adding that he has prior felony convictions for residential burglary, criminal threats, and robbery, all in Los Angeles County.

The Times noted the following in regard to the 2022 incident:

Santa Monica Police Lt. Erika Aklufi said surveillance video in that case showed McCrary putting a handgun to the head of a man on Broadway. He and an accomplice demanded the man’s watch, she said.

McCrary’s DNA also was recovered from the victim’s shirt, which he’d grabbed during the robbery, police said.

Prosecutors charged McCrary, who had been arrested by L.A. police a month later, and Donta Baker with robbery in the Santa Monica case based on the DNA evidence, according to court records reviewed by The Times.

The Times said McCrary pleaded no contest in 2023 to one count of robbery, after which L.A. County Superior Court Judge Cathryn Brougham sentenced him to three years. But the paper said Brougham suspended the sentence and placed McCrary on two years’ probation, also ordering him to complete 200 hours of community service.

The Times added that McCrary’s suspended sentence ran concurrent with another suspended sentence following a conviction for possessing a gun as a felon in a separate case the LAPD investigated.

The paper said that while Brougham ordered the completion of a probation report before McCrary’s sentencing, courthouse clerks could find no report upon the Times' request. Probation reports typically provide sentencing recommendations along with defendants' probation suitability, the paper added.

The Times reported that L.A. County prosecutors defended their handling of the case related to stealing a Rolex at gunpoint, a case which officials said “had significant problems with proof.”

More from the paper:

A spokesperson in the district attorney’s office said an inability to identify the defendant in the surveillance video hampered the case. Two witnesses were unable to identify the suspects, the spokesperson said, noting that the robber’s face was not shown in the video because he was wearing a mask.

She also said that prosecutors were unable to identify the item in the suspect’s hands, and that a confirmatory DNA test was never conducted on the robbery victim’s shirt, which called into question its accuracy.

“As a result of these issues, the management team ... authorized a plea offer that allowed [him] to be placed on probation with a suspended state prison sentence,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement, the Times reported.

Opponents of Gascón told the paper that the handling of the case demonstrates how his office has been mismanaged. The Times added that Nathan Hochman — Gascón’s opponent in this November's election — said Gascón’s “malpractice appears to have cost another life.”

Anything else?

The two other suspects in last week's brutal killing in Newport Beach are Malachi Darnell and Jaden Cunningham, both 18, the Orange County DA's Office said.

(L to R) Jaden Cunningham; Malachi DarnellImage source: Orange County (Calif.) District Attorney's Office

The DA's office said McKay and her husband were waiting for a ride after finishing shopping at the mall when a white Toyota Camry pulled up next to the couple. The DA's office said two masked suspects — later identified as Darnell and Cunningham — jumped out and attacked McKay’s husband, putting a gun to his head and demanding his watch as they forced him to the ground as bystanders ran away.

When the pair couldn't get the husband's property, Cunningham is accused of throwing McKay to the ground, stealing her shopping bags, and dragging her into the street in front of the getaway car, which McCrary was driving, the DA's office said.

With McKay lying in front of the Camry, McKay’s husband jumped in front of the vehicle in an effort to stop his wife from being run over, but McCrary is accused of accelerating forward with Darnell in the vehicle, pushing McKay’s husband out of the way, and running over McKay and dragging her body 65 feet, the DA's office said.

While McCrary was dragging McKay under the car, Cunningham was running to try to catch up to the getaway car, the DA's office said, adding that a good Samaritan tried to stop Cunningham from getting back into the vehicle. Darnell is accused of shooting from the getaway car at the good Samaritan, the DA's office said, adding that McCrary is accused of slowing down to allow Cunningham to jump back into the getaway vehicle, after which McCrary drove away.

The DA's office said Darnell and Cunningham also are eligible for the death penalty if they are convicted of the special circumstances murder charges. Darnell also has been charged with second-degree attempted robbery, attempted murder, and felony enhancements of personal use of a firearm and personal discharge of a firearm, the DA's office said, adding that Cunningham also has been charged with one felony count of attempted second-degree robbery.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

DA rips Gavin Newsom for 'soft-on-crime policies' after thugs charged with murdering 68-year-old woman at posh shopping mall



The district attorney of Orange County, California, blasted far-left Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers for their "soft-on-crime policies" after a trio of thugs were charged murdering a 68-year-old woman at a posh mall in Newport Beach last week.

The DA's office said New Zealand tourist Patricia McKay and her husband were waiting for a ride after finishing shopping at the Fashion Island mall Tuesday when a white Toyota Camry pulled up next to the couple and two masked males jumped out and attacked McKay’s 69-year-old husband, putting a gun to his head and demanding his watch as they forced him to the ground as bystanders ran away.

'Our shopping centers and malls have become hunting grounds for criminals who are stalking innocent shoppers to rob them blind because our Governor and our Legislature refuse to hold anyone accountable for their actions.'

When the suspects — later identified as Malachi Darnell and Jaden Cunningham, both 18 — couldn't get his property, Cunningham is accused of throwing McKay to the ground, stealing her shopping bags, and dragging her into the street in front of the getaway car, which 26-year-old Leroy Ernest Joseph McCrary was driving, the DA's office said.

With McKay lying in front of the Camry, McKay’s husband jumped in front of the vehicle in an effort to stop his wife from being run over, but McCrary is accused of accelerating forward with Darnell in the vehicle, pushing McKay’s husband out of the way, and running over McKay and dragging her body 65 feet, the DA's office said.

While McCrary was dragging McKay under the car, Cunningham was running to try to catch up to the getaway car, the DA's office said, adding that a good Samaritan tried to stop Cunningham from getting back into the vehicle. Darnell is accused of shooting from the getaway car at the good Samaritan, the DA's office said, adding that McCrary is accused of slowing down to allow Cunningham to jump back into the getaway vehicle, after which McCrary drove away.

Cunningham was arrested after bailing out of the vehicle in Cypress, the DA's office said, adding that McCrary and Darnell were arrested in South Gate after a police pursuit; all three defendants were being held without bail.

Orange County DA Todd Spitzer did not hold back in his comments against Newsom and state lawmakers.

“Our shopping centers and malls have become hunting grounds for criminals who are stalking innocent shoppers to rob them blind because our Governor and our Legislature refuse to hold anyone accountable for their actions," he said in a Friday statement. "Actions have consequences, and it shouldn’t have to result in the death of an elderly woman just enjoying a day of shopping with her husband for our elected leaders in Sacramento to realize that this is the product of their soft-on-crime policies which encourage criminality while sacrificing public safety. This is Orange County, and we refuse to accept this is the new normal. Criminals will be held accountable and violence will never be acceptable.”

The DA's office said the three suspects are eligible for the death penalty if they are convicted of the special circumstances murder charges in the commission of a robbery with a felony enhancement for causing the death of an elder over the age of 65.

McCrary faces additional felony charges of attempted second-degree robbery and evading while driving recklessly, the DA's office said, adding that McCrary has prior felony convictions for residential burglary in 2018, criminal threats in 2020, and robbery in 2023, all in Los Angeles County.

Darnell has also been charged with second-degree attempted robbery, attempted murder, and felony enhancements of personal use of a firearm and personal discharge of a firearm, the DA's office said, adding that Cunningham also been charged with one felony count of attempted second-degree robbery.

You can view a video report about the incident here.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Video: Another group of suspected illegal aliens arrives in California by boat — then quickly flees scene on foot



Another large group of suspected illegal aliens arrived in the United States by boat, according to a video shared recently on social media, the New York Post reported.

The video, captured Thursday morning, showed approximately two dozen individuals offloading from a small ship docked at a marina in Newport Beach, California. The suspected illegal immigrants are seen hopping over the fence to exit the harbor. One man appears to cover his face as he walks past the cameraman. The individuals seem to split off from one another, heading in separate directions toward the neighborhood across the street from the harbor, the video showed.

WATCH: Approximately two dozen migrants were caught on film unloading off a boat in NEWPORT BEACH Thursday morning on the tip of the Balboa Peninsula and fleeing into the neighborhood. \n\nUntil we fix our broken immigration laws, every town in Orange County is a border town.
— (@)

Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill addressed the video in a post on X, writing, “I’m aware of a video showing a mass of people offloading from a boat in our Harbor. I’ve been in touch with the [Orange County] Sheriff’s Department who patrols our Harbor to find out how we can do better.”

O.C. Sheriff Don Barnes recently reported that maritime smuggling operations are becoming more common, with a nearly 140% increase from 2020 to 2023. He noted that “state restrictions on communications with federal partners hinder” Harbor Patrol’s efforts to combat illegal immigration.

“The state should repeal laws that restrict communication with our federal partners,” Barnes said, referring to California’s "sanctuary policies," which prevent local law enforcement agencies from coordinating and cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

O’Neill said that he “wholeheartedly” agrees with Barnes, stating that “our law enforcement’s hands get tied behind their backs by Sacramento’s ‘sanctuary state’ policies.”

“Our nation’s border crisis is serious, lawless, and dangerous. The approaches taken by the administrations in D.C. and Sacramento have made it significantly worse,” O’Neill continued. “As it has been said, every city is now a border city. We must expect better from people in charge of enforcing our laws.”

In April, a video shared online showed a large group of suspected illegal aliens arriving at a Carlsbad beach by boat.

@abc10news

North County leaders are calling federal and state authorities to secure San Diego’s borders. This comes after Saturday’s incident where a boat carrying migrants sped up to the shore in Carlsbad. #viralvideos #migrants #border #sandiego #beach #carlsbad #carlsbadcalifornia #news #localnews #boat #panga #immigrant #immigration #foryou #foryoupage #videoviral #viralditiktok #lifeguards #shore #coastal #borderpatrol #northcountysd #sd #suv #pressconference #federal #state

The man who recorded the video told KGTV, “To see it live like that. I mean, even police and border patrol said they never caught it live like I did.”

“So to see one coming toward the shore at 40, 45 miles an hour and not turning, it was like a movie ... and the lifeguards were sitting right there, so I thought it was a planned, staged event,” he added.

According to him, 22 people jumped off the ship after beaching it and leaving it behind.

“It looked like a military exercise,” he said.

About half of the individuals jumped in an SUV and fled the scene, the man noted. Another video captured the vehicle dramatically speeding away while one individual was still attempting to jump into the backseat. The remaining illegal immigrants “started walking towards Carlsbad,” the man stated.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Man allegedly forces his way into home in middle of the night — but resident has a gun and shoots him dead



Police in Newport Beach, California, said they were called just before 4:15 a.m. Thursday about a man with "mental health issues" or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the Orange County Register reported.

The man then forced his way into a residence, Heather Rangel, a police spokeswoman, told the Register.

"He'd been around the house for like 20 minutes then came around to the front and broke the front door down, that's when he entered the house," neighbor Bill Finster told KNBC-TV.

Image source: KNBC-TV video screenshot

What happened next?

Police told the Register that someone inside the home shot the intruder dead. Neighbors told KNBC the man was shot once and that his body was found inside the Indus Street home.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, the paper said. There have been no arrests, the station added.

Police told KNBC the man who forced his way inside the home either was mentally ill or under the influence.

Who was the alleged intruder?

The fatally shot man was identified as 23-year-old Henry Lehr of Tucson, Arizona, the Register said, citing the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Anything else?

Sounds of the incident were caught on a home security camera, KNBC said.

"We've had a series of break-ins in cars right in their driveways," another neighbor, Chet Groskreutz, told the station.

Image source: KNBC-TV video screenshot

Neighbors added to KNBC that the intruder lived at a house just a few doors away — one of several sober-living homes in the area.

"These halfway houses scare us," Finster also told the station.

More from KNBC:

City officials say their hands are tied, that any sober living home of six or fewer people is regulated by the state.

City officials say the only way they can get involved is if there is a code enforcement issue or seven or more people in one home.

The station said neighborhood residents have complained about security issues for years.

Finster told KNBC of a previous scary incident: "Broad daylight, guy was on something, stark-ass naked, and a cop nailed him in front the house — but whatever he was on, he was overpowering the officer."