Police arrest knife-wielding man in Costa Mesa

A Costa Mesa man is due in court Tuesday on allegations he tried to stab two people at the Costa Mesa Motor Inn on Friday night, authorities said.

Joseph Robert Barnes, 28, was just three days out of jail Friday when police said he lunged at two people at the motel while he was under the influence of methamphetamines. When witnesses tried to stop him, Barnes made a run for it and ended up at the New Harbor Inn a couple of blocks down the street, officials claim.

That’s when police got involved. According to a police department press release, an officer driving down Harbor Boulevard saw Barnes in a confrontation with two other men. One man was holding a bicycle lock, in an apparent attempt to defend himself from the knife-wielding Barnes.

When the officers stopped the group, the man with the lock said Barnes was trying to stab him, according to the release. Officials said Barnes was also carrying stolen checks and credit cards.

Barnes was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, assault and battery possession of stolen property and being under the influence. He’s scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

Barnes was released from jail June 20. Court and sheriff’s department records show since December, he has been charged or convicted of various drug-related misdemeanors and felonies.

— Joseph Serna

Twitter: @JosephSerna