Gunmen Rob Motel Guests of Money, Gems

Two men possibly armed with a submachine gun and a handgun burst into two rooms of a Costa Mesa motel Thursday night, robbing three guests of $8,251 in cash and jewelry, police said.

The men kicked in the door of one room at the Costa Mesa Travelodge, 1951 Newport Blvd., about 7:40 p.m. and forced 24-year-old Darrell Morris to the floor.

“One of the suspects began hitting him in the face with the butt of possibly an Uzi,” Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Tom Winter said.

After robbing Morris of jewelry, the two men burst into an adjacent room and robbed guests Addi Sweed, 22, and Ronnie Quinn, whose age wasn’t known, of cash and jewelry, Winter said.

The men then fled, but no car was seen.

All three motel guests are residents of Costa Mesa, Winter said.

The robbers were described as black men in their mid to late 20s, each about 5 feet, 7 inches tall. One of them was wearing a brown leather jacket and the other was wearing a white T-shirt, Winter said.

Police were told that the robbers were possibly carrying an Uzi, a .45-caliber handgun and Mace, Winter said.

“It’s too early to say” what the motive is or if drugs were involved, said Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Ron Smith. “They may have just hit the place and got lucky. . . . It’s not a known drug motel,” he said.

The manager of the motel did not want to be identified or interviewed for fear of retaliation. However, he said the guests who were robbed had been staying at the motel for a few days and had several visitors go in and out of their rooms.

He also said the guests checked out of his motel and into another lodge on Newport Boulevard on Thursday night.