COSTA MESA : Suspect Arrested in Fire, Motel Death

A Huntington Beach man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of killing another man whose body was found in the charred remains of a Costa Mesa motel room, police said.

Thomas Joseph Bodnar, 22, allegedly started a fire Tuesday night that destroyed Room 107 of Harbor Bay Motel at 226 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa Police Lt. Jim Watson said.

The victim was identified as Robert Nicholas Bird, 28, of Costa Mesa. An autopsy Wednesday showed that he died of smoke inhalation, Watson said.

“Motive and exact cause of the fire are still under investigation,” Watson said.

Several motel guests said they heard a commotion in the room shortly before the 11 p.m. blaze broke out.

“Some people were yelling . . . then we heard a sound like busting glass,” said Steven Tierney of Irvine, who was staying in Room 110.

Another motel guest told investigators he saw a man run from the motel room just before it was engulfed by flames, police said.

A few minutes later, smoke detectors sounded and motel guests ran from their rooms. Several people with a fire extinguisher broke a window of Room 107 in an attempt to extinguish the fire.

“That’s when it (the fire) really went up,” Tierney said. “We could hear somebody yelling, kind of moaning.”

It took 16 firefighters nearly 10 minutes to put out the blaze, fire officials said. The fire caused an estimated $40,000 in damage to the structure and $3,000 to the contents, they said.

About two hours later, a police officer spotted Bodnar standing across the street from the motel, Watson said. Bodnar was identified by a witness as the man he saw fleeing the motel room, he said.

Bodnar was arrested on suspicion of arson and murder and was being held at Orange County Jail on $250,000 bail, police said. A warrant was also out for his arrest on an unrelated vandalism charge from West Municipal Court in Westminster, Watson said.

John Lee, manager of the 48-room motel, said Room 107 was supposed to be vacant. “Whoever was in the room was in there illegally,” he said.

Lee said 30 of the motel’s rooms were rented out when the fire broke out. Refunds were given to several of the guests.

According to Costa Mesa Fire Marshal Tom Macduff, the motel, which was equipped with smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, was up to fire codes.

This was the city’s second fire at a motel in less than six weeks. The last blaze occurred Feb. 28 at a La Quinta Inn when a suspected methamphetamine lab exploded.