Robbers targeted two men, one driving a Rolls-Royce and the other a Ferrari, Monday night in the latest violent incident at the Fashion Island mall in Orange County, leaving one with minor injuries, authorities said.
At 11:26 p.m., Newport Beach police received a report of a robbery with possible shots fired near the parking lot of the mall on Newport Center Drive, an officer said the press release.
When officers arrived, they found the two men, who confirmed they had been confronted by three would-be robbers.
The men, who are friends, were in their cars — a white Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV and a yellow Ferrari — when they were approached by three suspects wearing ski masks, Lt. Mike Shiavi said KTLA-TV. One of the suspects is suspected to have been armed.
Shiavi said the driver of the Rolls-Royce had his watch and wallet stolen, but the Ferrari driver tried to speed away, KTLA reported. The armed suspect opened fire on the Ferrari, hitting and shattering the window, and the driver suffered an ear injury, possibly from flying glass, police said. He wasn’t robbed.
The suspects were described as three men wearing ski masks driving a mid-size sedan.
Newport Beach police said the investigation is ongoing and asked anyone with information about the incident to contact Det. K. Markwald at (949) 644-3762 or kmarkwald@nbpd.org.
Two months ago, the upscale mall was the scene of a robbery gone wrong that left one person dead 69-year-old woman visiting from New Zealand. Three men have been charged in that case.