Irvine Police Department

An Irvine man was arrested Monday on suspicion of stabbing and killing his brother, police said. Laurence William Sullivan, 33, was arrested about 7:11 a.m. Monday after allegedly stabbing Daniel John Sullivan, 32, in the 4100 block of Old Mill Street, according to an Irvine Police Department news release. Officers found both men with injuries about 10:50 p.m. Oct. 16. Daniel Sullivan was taken to a local hospital where he died at 11:23 p.m. Detectives were still investigating what the two men were fighting about, Lt. Julia Engen said.

Three robberies in Irvine over the last month appear related to others that have occurred in Newport-Mesa, officials said Wednesday. Police officials in the three cities are looking for a robber who has been armed with a handgun in holdups of card stores, supermarkets, a hardware store and a drug store. Police describe the assailant as a white man between 35 and 40, 6 feet tall, and about 200 pounds, with a stocky build. He often dresses in dark clothing that consists of a jacket and jeans, Irvine police said.

Costa Mesa police arrested an 18-year-old man Friday on suspicion of sexually assaulting a young woman at Canyon Park in Costa Mesa. Armando Lopez Gomez of Buena Park was found hiding in a backyard as Costa Mesa police, aided by the Huntington Beach Police Department and Irvine Police Department bloodhounds, searched the area. Police said the suspect allegedly was seen running from the park by neighbors after an 18-year-old woman was found beaten and screaming for help at 4 a.m. The victim was taken to Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, where she was treated for a broken nose, jaw and cheekbone and then released, police said.

A 77-year-old Irvine resident died from injuries sustained in a two-car crash Tuesday afternoon. The collision occurred in the intersection at Culver Drive and Farwell Avenue about 1:20 p.m., closing a portion of Culver between Trabuco Road and Bryan Avenue while the Orange County Fire Authority and Irvine police responded to the scene, according to an Irvine Police Department press release. Preliminary investigation shows that the 77-year-old female driver appeared to be driving eastbound on Farwell when she was stuck by a van traveling southbound on Culver, according to the release.

Irvine police arrested nine people suspected of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol during a checkpoint in Irvine on Dec. 30. Officers also wrote six citations for other violations. Staffers stopped 359 vehicles during the evening operation at Jamboree Road and Birch Street. Out of those, 12 were stopped for officers to administer sobriety tests. There were no significant traffic delays because of the checkpoint, police said in a statement. The checkpoint, which was staffed by the Irvine Police Department employees as well as community volunteers, was funded by a California Office of Traffic Safety grant.

An electrical contractor struck a gas line at John Wayne Airport about 7:30 a.m. today, forcing authorities to block traffic into part of the airport and to evacuate some areas, according to emergency responders. No one was injured by the leaking gas. By 8:30 a.m. workers from the Southern California Gas Co. had capped the 2-inch line and vehicle traffic was allowed to flow again, airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said. No flights were canceled but some may have been delayed as passengers had trouble reaching the terminal, she added.

In the weeks before New Year's Eve, local police agencies have been working hard to send a strong message against drunk driving. A multi-agency task force, coordinated by the Costa Mesa Police Department, is patrolling the streets and looking for those driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. So far, the operation's been a success, said Costa Mesa Police Chief John Hensley. "Things are going very well.... The numbers [of arrests], unfortunately, have been high," Hensley said.

A man accused of stealing a Hummer limousine was later seen fleeing the vehicle naked, authorities said Monday. Ahmad Mabrok, 29, of Tustin allegedly had a gun when he confronted the limousine's driver at the intersection of Sand Canyon Avenue and Burt Road in Irvine about 8:15 p.m. Saturday, said Irvine Police Department Lt. Julia Engen. The man was quickly pursued by the California Highway Patrol, and in Whittier, where he pulled over and tried to flee the limo, he had no clothes on, Engen said.

Police arrested a Costa Mesa man after his daughter was found in a car seat in the parking lot of an Irvine community college. Jason Richard Buchea, 33, was arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment after passersby spotted the 11-month-old strapped in a car seat in Irvine Valley College's parking lot, according to the Irvine Police Department. The baby was not in a vehicle, and no adult was nearby claiming responsibility for the child when she was found about 1 p.m. Monday, police said.

SANTA ANA -- A man has been charged with strangling his wife to death in their Irvine apartment, then calling police himself to report the crime, KTLA reported Wednesday. Shalabh Rastogi, 39, of Irvine is charged with one felony count of murder and faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison if convicted. Prosecutors requested that Rastogi be held without bail at his arraignment on Wednesday in Santa Ana. At the time of the crime, Rastogi was said to be having marital trouble with his 40-year-old wife Jalina George.