Woman suspected of assaulting Motel 6 worker

A Costa Mesa woman is scheduled to appear in court Monday after police said they found her locked in a gas station bathroom with a knife and a half-empty bottle of tequila.

Nicole Andrian, 30, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon Thursday morning after an employee of the Motel 6 on Gisler Avenue in Costa Mesa said she inexplicably tried to stab him.

Police said the man, 46, was walking around the Motel 6 property when Andrian approached him and said she had a “maintenance problem” and lured him to the east side of the building, said Sgt. Cameron Phillips.

Out of nowhere, police said she grabbed the unsuspecting employee by the shirt pocket and pulled him toward her while lunging at his chest with a buck knife.

He was able to pull away, and she narrowly missed him and cut his shirt instead, Phillips said.

Authorities said witnesses saw Andrian head toward the Chevron gas station across the street.

After a quick search, they realized she was in the women’s locked bathroom and waited for her to emerge.

The motel employee identified her as his attacker and Andrian was arrested.

Phillips said it appeared Andrian had been drinking.

She is being held in Orange County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail.

— Joseph Serna