BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS Man robbed at...

BRIEFLY IN

THE NEWS

Man robbed at gunpoint at night

Three men with a gun reportedly robbed a man who was walking in

the 2600 block of Elden Avenue late Sunday night, Costa Mesa police

said.

The incident occurred at about 11 p.m., Lt. Dale Birney said. The

man was walking near the corner of Mesa Drive when a car with the

three men pulled over next to the victim, he said.

“A man in the back seat pulled out what seemed like a rifle or a

shotgun,” Birney said. “They demanded money. The victim handed over

the money. The men left and were last seen westbound on Mesa Drive

going toward Newport Boulevard.”

No one was hurt in the incident. The vehicle was only described as

a black or dark blue domestic sedan, Birney said.

Westside park vandalized

A Westside park dedicated to Costa Mesa’s only two police officers

to die in the line of duty was vandalized less than a week after it

was opened to the public, officials said.

Ketchum-Libolt Park, which opened Nov. 21, was named after Dave

Ketchum and Mike Libolt, who were killed March 10, 1987, in a

helicopter crash while chasing a stolen vehicle.

Vandals drew graffiti on the park’s tables and walls on Wednesday

night, Lt. Dale Birney said. The writing was gang-related, he said.

“We have no idea why this happened,” Birney said. “They could have

been marking their territory or tagging a rival gang’s territory. Or

they could have done it simply because the park was dedicated to

police officers.”

No arrests have been made, he said.