Man slashed on the back by attacker in Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa police are looking for a man who ambushed a pedestrian, slashed his back and disappeared early Saturday, according to authorities.

Police said they found out about the crime around 2 a.m. when they got a call from the Hoag Hospital emergency room that a patient had arrived with stab wounds.

When officers responded, they discovered the injuries were more like two long cuts across the man’s back, Costa Mesa police Sgt. Matt Selinske said.

One cut was relatively superficial, but the other required about 10 staples to close, Selinkse said.

The pedestrian told police that he was walking near Placentia Avenue and Congress Street when another man came up behind him, Selinske said.

Police said the pedestrian felt something on his back, but when he turned around to see what was going on, the attacker was already running away.

The man then called a friend for help, according to police.

“He realized he had been stabbed but he didn’t know to what extent,” Selinske said.

The friend arrived and the two headed to the hospital, according to police.

The pedestrian didn’t get a good look at the attacker, but he told police he suspects the crime was related to a disagreement he had with another person while the two were staying at a sober living home in Costa Mesa, Selinske said.