Man killed at Hilton

A Mission Viejo resident was fatally stabbed in the chest early Saturday morning outside the Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa Hotel in what was the city’s and Orange County’s first homicide of the year, police said.

The suspect is being treated for his injuries at Mission Hospital and is in police custody, said Lt. Bryan Glass, a public information officer with the Costa Mesa police department.

The victim was identified by police as Robert Sickles, who was allegedly stabbed by Adam Baker, 23, of Dana Point. The report came in at 1:57 a.m.

Baker has not yet been arraigned yet because of his injuries, but he will be held on a $1 million bail in connection with the homicide and attempted homicide charges, Glass said.

According to the police news release, another man, identified by police as Brian McTeigue, 26, of Mission Viejo, was also stabbed.

An altercation between the three men broke out near the valet parking area after a New Year’s Eve party had just ended at the hotel on Bristol Street in Costa Mesa, police said in the news release.

Both Sickles and McTeigue were transported to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, where Sickles was pronounced dead and McTeigue is currently being treated for his injuries, Glass said. The police had been on scene and had been dealing with other disturbances at the time of the fatality, according to the news release.

Glass would not elaborate on the status of Baker’s injuries, other than to say that he did not believe they were life-threatening.

An investigation is ongoing, and police are asking witnesses with information to contact either Detective Kevin Condon at (714) 754-5361 or Sgt. Ed Everett at (714) 754-5395.