Police arrest assault suspect

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT BEACH -- Police on Friday morning arrested a 44-year-old man

accused of assaulting a Long Beach woman who was visiting him at his

Superior Avenue home.

Officers arrested Walter Cordell in front of the Costa Mesa Motor Inn

on Harbor Boulevard at about 10:30 a.m., said Sgt. Steve Shulman,

spokesman for the Newport Beach Police Department.

Shulman said Cordell was taken into custody without incident.

“Costa Mesa police officers were tipped off by someone who saw

[Cordell’s] name written on something,” Shulman said.

The tipster saw Cordell’s name after he had read a story in Friday’s

Daily Pilot about the assault, Shulman said.

Police began the search for Cordell after a 38-year-old woman reported

to officers that he had hit her several times with a wooden club when she

was at his home Wednesday night.

She told officials the attack was sudden and unprovoked and that they

were not fighting or arguing before the incident, Shulman said.

She managed to escape from Cordell by running out the front door, he

added. She walked to Hoag Hospital, where she was treated for cuts on her

head.

Cordell and victim were neither dating nor married, police said.

Officials said the reason for the attack is still unknown. Cordell is

being held in Newport Beach City Jail with bail set at $50,000.