Suspect wanted for robbing motel at gunpoint

Police are looking for a man who held up a Costa Mesa motel clerk at gunpoint, duct taped her wrists and mouth, hit her in the face and stole all the money left in the cash register.

The suspect arrived at the Regency Inn at 2 p.m. Sunday and took about $380 in cash and walked away on Newport Boulevard.

Police have only a scant description of the man because the security cameras were not on, motel clerk Peggy Chen said.

“We never really turn on the cameras because it’s usually very quiet around here with no crime, and this place has never had anything like this happen since we opened in 1995,” Chen said.

Police described the robber as a male between 20 and 25 years old with a shaved head who is carrying a gun.

— Adriana Sellers