FBI AGENTS SNARE SUSPECT IN 'RED EYE BANDIT' CASE.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Daily News Staff Writer

A Palmdale man dubbed the "Red Eye Bandit," wanted in connection with 15 bank robberies, was caught Wednesday night in Riverside County following a two-hour search, FBI officials said.

Ex-convict William Artell Miles was arrested in Perris, a small city about 15 miles south of Riverside, after FBI officials spotted him in front of a relative's house.

"He's a good one to get in custody, because there was a strong chance that he was going to continue," said Randy Parsons, supervisory senior resident agent at the FBI's Riverside office.

The 40-year-old man, who became known as the "Red Eye Bandit" after witnesses at several banks said the robber had bloodshot eyes and a heavy odor of alcohol on his breath, was arrested on suspicion of committing 15 bank robberies - eight in the Antelope Valley.

He was identified in November after Antelope Valley residents recognized him from a bank surveillance camera photo published in local newspapers.

Since then, Miles is suspected of committing four more robberies.

At 4 p.m. Wednesday, FBI Agent Mark Enyart spotted Miles standing outside a Perris home believed to be occupied by his cousin.

"Miles was spotted, knew something was up and took off," Parsons said.

Two hours later, as FBI agents and Perris police searched the area, Miles was sighted near a pay phone in a shopping center and arrested without incident.

FBI officials were not sure if Miles had been hiding out at the home in Perris and were still investigating the possibility. Some of Miles' belongings were also found in the home, Parsons said.

Since August 1994, robberies attributed to Miles include six at Palmdale banks, two at Lancaster banks, two at banks in Moreno Valley, a Colton bank robbed twice and individual robberies in North Hollywood, Northridge and Pasadena, FBI officials said. Officials would not disclose how much money was stolen.

In his last robbery 10 days ago, the robber walked into a First Interstate Bank in Moreno Valley where he presented a teller a note reading "robbery." He told the teller: "I'm not kidding. I want your 50's," then, before leaving, said "Thank you, have a nice day."

No weapons were seen in any of the robberies, FBI officials said.

Miles has been a Palmdale resident for the past two years and before that lived in the San Fernando Valley, FBI officials said.

According to prison officials, Miles was sent to state prison in 1985 after a robbery conviction and was paroled the following year.