Man sentenced to 7 years in prison for attacking man with rod, chain at Costa Mesa motel

A Costa Mesa man arrested in December for beating a man with a metal rod and chain pleaded guilty this week to charges of attempted murder and battery and will serve seven years in state prison, according to court documents.

Adan Diaz, 35, pleaded guilty Monday to felony charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, first-degree burglary and battery, among others, stemming from a Dec. 21 incident that occurred outside a motel on the 3200 block of Harbor Boulevard at 8:51 p.m., according to court records.

That’s when police say Diaz unlawfully entered a motel room inhabited by a victim identified only as “Irvin H.” and assaulted the victim with a metal rod and a chain. Authorities say the injuries sustained by the victim put him into a comatose state. His current condition remains unclear.

Diaz received additional felony charges for resisting officers and preventing them from performing their duties, court records indicate. An additional felony charge was issued after Diaz committed battery against an on-duty police officer, inflicting injury.

In addition to eight felony counts, and one misdemeanor battery charge, Diaz also faced additional enhancements for using a deadly weapon and causing great bodily harm resulting in a coma or paralysis.

For his guilty plea Diaz — who has also gone by the aliases Adam Diaz, Adam Martinez and “Grumpy,” according to court records — was sentenced to serve seven years in state prison as part of a plea deal.

As of Friday, he was being held in Orange County Central Men’s Jail, according to an online inmate locator maintained by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Diaz is scheduled to appear in court March 22 for a firearms relinquishment hearing at the Westminster Justice Center.

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