DEPUTIES ARREST 4 GUNMEN IN PALMDALE BANK ROBBERY.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Daily News Staff Writer

Sheriff's deputies arrested four suspects Thursday after a 15-mile chase that reached speeds of 100 mph following a bank robbery during which one gunman fired a shot into a locked door.

The suspects were arrested - and a large amount of cash and four handguns recovered - after their car broke down near 90th Street West and Avenue B, possibly from a blown radiator, deputies said.

``They gave up, came out peacefully and went to jail just like they were supposed to,'' said Deputy Paul Ullman.

Arrested on suspicion of armed robbery were James Johnson, 25, of Santa Clarita; Darrin Hale, 27, of Sylmar; Lashawn Miles, 27, of San Bernardino; and Timothy Exum, 25, of Sun Valley.

FBI agents and sheriff's deputies were investigating whether the men were linked to other bank robberies, though they do not seem responsible for any local ones.

``We do not believe these individuals can be connected at this time to prior Antelope or Santa Clarita valley robberies,'' said FBI agent Gary Auer.

Deputies said three gunmen entered the Wells Fargo Bank in the 3000 block of Rancho Vista Boulevard about 9:10 a.m. and ordered a half-dozen employees and one or two customers to lie down on the floor.

During the robbery, one of the gunmen fired a shot into a door to a small room for servicing ATM machines. At least one employee was hiding in the room, but no one was hit by the bullet, deputies said. They gave the following account:

Fleeing with an undetermined amount of cash, the robbers sped away in a Jeep Cherokee driven by a fourth man. They abandoned the Jeep, which proved to be stolen, near 25th Street West and Avenue P-12, about a mile from the bank, and drove off in a Chevrolet Camaro.

A private citizen called the Sheriff's Department to report the car switch, because it seemed suspicious, officials said.

``They were screaming and yelling and hurrying and screeching tires,'' said Sgt. Joe Dymerski.

Deputies spotted the Camaro heading north on 60th Street West near Avenue N, and chased it until it broke down, deputies said. At one point, a deputy in pursuit reported the car was doing 100 mph, but it could have been traveling faster because at that time the deputy was a quarter-mile behind, Ullman said.

``Fortunately, out where they were pursuing them there was very little traffic,'' Ullman said.