Police briefs

A man was arrested by Irvine police Friday afternoon on suspicion of

robbing a Wells Fargo Bank branch in the 4500 block of MacArthur

Boulevard in Newport Beach, authorities said.

The suspect, whose name was not available Friday evening, walked into

the bank about 3:30 p.m. with an automatic handgun and went from teller

to teller brandishing the weapon and demanding cash, said Newport Beach

Police Lt. Mike Jackson.

Jackson said the man then ran out and was chased on foot by bank

employees and parking control officials before he got away.

“But we were already getting calls from customers in the bank who had

cell phones telling us there was a bank robbery going on,” Jackson said.

He said the suspected robber was spotted and arrested by Irvine police

at the corner of University and Michelson drives. The weapon he had in

his possession was confiscated, Jackson said.

The man is also suspected of committing armed robberies in other

cities, including one Friday morning in Huntington Beach, he said.