Bodies of 2 Men Found in Bar in Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa police are investigating the murder of two men whose bodies were found early Wednesday morning in the Lion’s Den bar at 719 W. 19th Street.

Officers responded to a 4:47 a.m. call from a janitor who was cleaning the bar and found the body of Lawrence L. Rohr, 49, the owner, and the body of an unidentified male, in his middle to late 30s, lying in the office area, said Lt. Gary Johnson. Both men had been shot.

No motive for the shootings has been determined and police said they have no suspects. Police had to wait for a warrant to search the bar, which is in a commercial area and not thought to be a high-crime neighborhood. Johnson said there was no sign of forced entry or any indication that the facility had been burglarized.

A coroner’s autopsy is expected to determine the specific cause of death, he added.