Man accused of assaulting his girlfriend with a knife

A Costa Mesa man accused of attacking his girlfriend and her friend with a knife pleaded not guilty in Newport Beach court Wednesday.

Jacob Reich, 37, is charged with corporal injury with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats and assault with a deadly weapon other than a gun. Police say he cut his girlfriend and her female friend with a knife in their Costa Mesa home.

Tuesday morning, Reich got into an argument with his girlfriend in their apartment in the 2700 block of Mesa Verde Drive East, police said.

As the argument escalated, Reich’s girlfriend feared for her safety and called her female friend to come over, Lt. Clay Epperson said.

“After [she] arrived, he assaulted both with a knife and also physically abused them as well,” Epperson said. The women appeared to have defensive wounds and looked like they had been choked, Epperson said.

One of the two called police, who arrested Reich at about 4 a.m., officials said.

One of the women was taken to the hospital, while the other refused medical attention, Epperson said.

— Joseph Serna