Three Cities Involved : Gunman Sought in Rash of Motel Heists

Costa Mesa police were searching Thursday night for a gunman believed responsible for a rash of motel robberies in at least three Orange County cities in as many days.

The gunman, described as in his 30s with blond shoulder-length hair and toting a white plastic shopping bag, held up the Tahiti Inn, 450 Victoria St., at 8:15 p.m. Thursday, police said.

“We think it’s the same man in the two holdups we had Tuesday,” Costa Mesa Police Officer William Redmond said.

Motel Holdups in Anaheim

Meanwhile, Anaheim police were investigating a pair of motel robberies, apparently by the same man, that took place within 25 minutes of each other Thursday morning. And Newport Beach police were investigating the Wednesday night holdup of the Newport Channel Inn on Coast Highway.

Anaheim police Sgt. John Haradon said the robberies share “similarities” with the pair of motel robberies in Costa Mesa on Tuesday. But he said investigators are not sure whether they are related.

Although a gun was pointed at motel managers in each of the six robberies, there have been no shots fired and no one injured, police said. In each case, the gunman has fled on foot and no getaway vehicle has been seen.

In Anaheim, Haradon said a man armed with a chrome pistol took $349 from a clerk at the Anaheimer Motel, 1201 W. Katella Ave., at about 7:12 a.m. Thursday. Fourteen minutes later, police were called to the Captain’s Quarters Motel, 620 W. Orangewood Ave., where a man with a chrome pistol had just taken $120, Haradon said.

Gunman Reportedly Got $300

Newport Beach police were called at 9:45 p.m. Wednesday to the Newport Channel Inn, 6030 W. Coast Highway, after a report that a man armed with a six-inch, nickel-plated revolver had robbed the manager and his wife of $300 in cash.

On Tuesday night, a man with a gun took about $670 in a pair of robberies within 25 minutes of each other at the Rodeway Inn and the Don Quixote motel, police said.

In both incidents, the man displayed a pistol, demanded money, left with the money in a white plastic bag. He took $480 from the Rodeway and $190 from the Don Quixote.