The death of a retired Hawaii resident after an attempted robbery in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve came as a shock to her Waipio Gentry neighbors, who said she had lived on their quiet street for many years.

Clarice Yamaguchi, 66, was shot during an attempted robbery at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the parking garage of Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip. She died at University Medical Center from a gunshot wound to the neck, according to the Las Vegas Journal-Review.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said Yamaguchi and her husband were getting out of their vehicle in the garage when they encountered a robber, who shot her during a struggle.

To hear she was shot and killed is quite disturbing, said neighbor Steve Gomes.

“She was a nice lady … always said hi,” he said.

Another longtime neighbor said Yamaguchi was a retired employee of TheBus. “I just saw her last week,” said the neighbor, who did not want to be identified. “So sad.”

A 2020 newsletter by Oahu Transit Services Inc. indicated Yamaguchi retired as a timekeeper coordinator for TheBus in May 2020 after 41 years of service.

According to the Review- Journal, just hours after Yamaguchi was shot, a man in his 50s was killed during another robbery attempt in the parking garage just 2 miles away at Palace Station.

Police later arrested Jordan Ruby, 18, and Jesani Carter, 20, both of whom appeared in court Saturday. They remain in custody at the Clark County Detention Center and are scheduled for a court appearance today.

“Detectives determined Carter and Ruby had entered the parking garages with the intent to commit a robbery. Detectives are currently reviewing their connection to other events,” police wrote in a news release.

“Bad things happen to good people. Clarice was good people,” Gomes said.

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Star-Advertiser reporter Rosemarie Bernardo and Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Ricardo Torres-Cortez contributed to this report.