BREAKING NEWS

Costa Mesa police have arrested a man after witnesses told investigators he attempted to smother a sleeping 91-year-old patient in his bed at a convalescent hospital. The patient at Mesa Verde Convalescent Hospital had no apparent connection to his alleged assailant, authorities said Monday.

Joshua Matthew Drougas, 18, of Costa Mesa, was arrested late Sunday on suspicion of attempted murder and assault on a dependent adult.

“We’re looking into the bizarre nature of the crime at this point,” Costa Mesa police Det. Sgt. Bob Phillips said. “His motives are still under investigation.”

Drougas entered the hospital at 661 Center St. through an unlocked door Sunday night and did not sign his name into visitor records, Phillips said. Nursing staff responded to the victim’s room after hearing cries for help and discovered an unauthorized visitor there, he said.

When police arrived at 11:19 p.m., the victim and staff told them that Drougas had attempted to smother the victim with a pillow as he slept, Phillips said. The victim escaped the attack unhurt, he added.

Tom Skiba, administrator for the Mesa Verde Healthcare Campus, declined detailed comment on the attack, saying he would release a statement after reviewing the information further.

He did say that 11 p.m. is not an unusual time to see visitors moving about the hospital, as a number of patients at Mesa Verde are on a hospice program with flexibility in visiting hours.

Drougas was booked into Costa Mesa Jail at 1:30 a.m. this morning on $1 million bail. Because Presidents Day is a court holiday, he is expected to be arraigned Tuesday.