Car crashes into Costa Mesa home; driver flees

A driver fled after crashing a stolen car into a Costa Mesa home Tuesday night, according to police.

Police got a call at about 11:40 p.m. about a gray 2012 Ford Fusion that slammed into the front of a house in the 2700 block of Mendoza Drive, Lt. Mark Manley said.

When officers arrived at the scene, the driver was gone, Manley said.

During their investigation, police said they discovered the car was a rental that had been reported stolen Monday in Huntington Beach, and a witness told officers he saw two men get out of the car and run away after it crashed into the house.

The crash caused “significant” damage to the home, Manley said, adding that Costa Mesa firefighters red-tagged it until repairs can be made to make it habitable.

A man and a pregnant woman were in an upstairs bedroom inside the house at the time of the crash, but neither was hurt, police said.

The driver was likely speeding and lost control when he tried to make a turn near the house, police said.

Police described the driver as a 130-pound Latino in his 20s, 5-feet 7-inches tall with short dark hair. He was wearing a dark shirt and dark pants, according to police.

Anyone with information is asked to call Traffic Investigator Darren Wood at (714) 754-5264.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck