Three men accused of killing elderly woman at upscale Newport Beach shopping mall refuse to leave their jail cells to face murder charges in court

Three men accused of sidesplitting an aged female tourer during a robbery extracurricular an upscale shopping promenade successful Newport Beach, CA, defied a judge Monday, refusing to time off their jailhouse cells and spell to tribunal to look execution and different charges.

Leroy McCrary, 26 and Malachi Darnell, 18, some of LA, positive Jaden Cunningham, 18, of Lancaster, CA were scheduled to look astatine Orange County Superior Court successful Santa Ana to beryllium arraigned and participate blameworthy aliases not blameworthy pleas.

But nary of them showed up successful defiance of Judge Andre Manssourian who ordered them to look aft they pulled nan aforesaid stunt for a scheduled proceeding past Friday, refusing to budge from nan jailhouse wherever they’re being held, conscionable 200 yards distant from nan courtroom.

The 3 - each shirtless - did make little video appearances successful tribunal Monday aft Orange County Sheriff’s deputies managed to get iPads to their jailhouse cells.

None of them said and Judge Manssourian scheduled different arraignment and plea proceeding Wednesday ordering nan men - again - to show up. 

The judge seemed puzzled arsenic to why nan 3 were not to brought to tribunal Monday, saying he heard ‘something astir a 24-hour psychiatric hold.’ and asking deputies to springiness him a study ‘in penning arsenic to why they are not successful tribunal correct now.’

‘I request to cognize if it’s a refusal aliases if it’s a psychiatric hold,’ he said.

The men are each charged pinch murdering New Zealand tourer Patricia McKay, 68, by moving her complete pinch a car and dragging her 65 feet aft trying to rob her and her hubby Douglas extracurricular a Barnes and Noble shop astatine Fashion Island mall.

The 3 - who could look nan decease punishment if convicted - are besides accused of attempted 2nd grade robbery.

In addition, Darnell is charged pinch attempted execution and discharging a firearm aft allegedly firing a weapon astatine a Good Samaritan who was trying to thief nan McKays during nan incident July 2.

And McCrary - who cops opportunity led them connected a high-speed 30-mile positive pursuit while fleeing nan segment of nan botched robbery - was besides charged pinch evading constabulary while driving recklessly.

Police opportunity that Darnell and Cunningham, some wearing masks, jumped retired of a achromatic Toyota Camry driven by McCrary and accosted nan McKays arsenic they were stepping extracurricular nan Barnes & Noble store.

One of nan suspects allegedly put a weapon to nan caput of Mr. McKay, 69, demanding his watch and forcing him to nan ground.

When they couldn’t get nan watch, opportunity cops, nan robbers turned connected McKay, who was holding respective shopping bags.

As McKay fought to bent connected to nan bags, Cunningham allegedly dragged her into nan thoroughfare successful beforehand of nan achromatic Toyota getaway car pinch McCrary astatine nan wheel.

Prosecutors opportunity Douglas McKay jumped successful beforehand of nan conveyance to protect his wife, but McCrary, pinch Darnell backmost successful nan car, accelerated and forced nan hubby retired of nan way, past ran complete McKay, trapping her nether nan conveyance and dragging her until she was dead.

Cunningham was was still moving toward nan moving flight vehicle, trying to jump successful and a Good Samaritan was chasing him, trying to extremity him.

But, according to cops, nan pursuer gave up nan pursuit erstwhile Darnell fired 3 shots toward him from nan Toyota and Cunningham sewage distant pinch his 2 accomplices. Nobody was deed by gunfire.

The men fled northbound toward Los Angeles pinch nan Toyota reaching speeds of up to 110mph, opportunity police, who yet were capable to propulsion nan car complete and apprehension each three.

The victim’s hubby Douglas McKay - a salient businessman and organization leader successful New Zealand’s capital, Auckland - was not injured successful nan incident.

Meanwhile Los Angeles County Sheriff George Gascon - and CA Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom - are facing a increasing large wind of anger complete why 1 of nan accused men - McCrary, 26, - was free connected probation alternatively of down bars for a drawstring of earlier LA convictions, including 1 past twelvemonth for a akin robbery.

Prosecutors opportunity that earlier past week’s robbery and killing, McCrary had anterior convictions for residential burglary successful 2018, criminal threats successful 2020, and robbery successful 2023.

He pleaded nary congest past twelvemonth to nan robbery complaint positive different of being a supplier addict successful possession of a firearm. Yet he was only sentenced to 2 years probation and a three-year situation condemnation was suspended, leaving him free connected nan streets.

‘Our shopping centers and malls person go hunting grounds for criminals who are stalking guiltless shoppers to rob them unsighted because our Governor and our Legislature garbage to clasp anyone accountable for their actions,’ blasted Republican Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer erstwhile he announced nan charges against nan 3 men.

He said that McKay’s execution was a crime ‘that should person ne'er happened,’ adding, ‘Lawlessness and unit will not beryllium tolerated successful our society.’

Newport Beach Mayor Will O'Neill reacted pinch anger to nan horrendous slaying of McKay, saying that McCrary 'shouldn't person been successful free society' because of his past crimes.

‘Frankly, to hellhole pinch these guys… These are thugs. Every organization is now dealing pinch this. We person to do amended arsenic a society. We cannot tolerate this.'

Asked to explicate why McCrary didn’t get jailhouse clip for his erstwhile crimes, Gascon said successful a connection that ‘the lawsuit against him had important problems pinch proof’ truthful ‘the guidance squad astatine nan tribunal authorized a plea connection that allowed him to beryllium placed connected probation,’ positive a situation condemnation that was suspended.

DailyMail.com asked a spokesperson for Orange County Superior Court if a judge location is empowered to bid a jailhouse inmate to beryllium physically compelled to travel to tribunal for a scheduled quality if he refuses to time off his compartment but we person not yet received a response.