'BUMBLEBEE BANDIT' SUSPECT ARRESTED.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

LANCASTER - A 1985 Ford Mustang that authorities said was bought with money stolen from five local businesses led officials to an arrest after a witness jotted down the vehicle's license number during an attempted robbery.

Authorities said Tuesday that they had arrested James Mitchell of Lancaster, who reportedly admitted robbing the local companies to raise money for the down payment on the white Mustang.

``That was his whole motivation. He wanted the car, and he wanted quick and easy money to pay for it,'' said Detective Brian Schoonmaker.

Mitchell, 19, is the suspect in a string of robberies by a gunman dubbed the ``Bumblebee Bandit'' because of the yellow-and-black shirt he wore.

He pleaded not guilty Monday, and remains jailed. He was ordered to return to court Oct. 26 for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to go to trial.

Mitchell was apprehended Oct. 10, three days after a gunman tried to rob a Taco Bell restaurant in the 1700 block of East Avenue J in Lancaster. Authorities said the thief pointed a gun at an employee at the drive-through window and demanded money. The cashier ran to the back of the store and the gunman fled by jumping over a retaining wall into a nearby neighborhood.

Dennie Parker, 41, of Los Angeles was visiting a relative's home and saw a man with a gun in his hand jump over an adjacent wall and head toward a Mustang. Parker wrote down the Mustang's license plate and gave the information to deputies investigating the attempted robbery at Taco Bell.

Patrol Deputies Thomas Carter and Jim Dillard spotted the car Oct. 10, made a traffic stop and arrested Mitchell. Investigators searched the car and found a yellow-and-black shirt, a blue ski mask and a BB gun that was a replica of a semiautomatic firearm.

Officials say Mitchell confessed to the attempted robbery at Taco Bell and to hold-ups at five other stores, including the Sept. 22 heist at Spudnuts Donuts in the 1800 Block of East Avenue J.

Three stores were robbed Sept. 24: Yogurt Oasis in the 1000 block of East Avenue J, the Mobil Minimart in the 1000 block of West Avenue M and Big Wheel Donuts in the 43600 block of 15th Street West.

On Oct. 3, the bandit robbed the Cruise Thru Dairy in the 500 block of East Avenue J, officials said.

Mitchell told deputies he had paid $1,300 toward the purchase of a car and needed to pay the balance on the down payment by Oct. 10 or he would risk losing his investment.

He used the proceeds from the five robberies - about $470 - toward the purchase of the car. He was allowed to take the car Oct. 6 with $130 still owing. On Oct. 7, less than 24 hours after driving his car off the lot, he went to the Taco Bell to try to get the remaining $130.

``It's kind of funny that it was his new car that he wanted so badly that got him caught,'' Schoonmaker said.