ROBBER'S HAIRSTYLE PROVES USEFUL CLUE.

Byline: Laurence Darmiento Daily News Staff Writer

Police say they have Moe Howard to thank for this one - the capture of a pair charged in a mini crime spree that victimized five gas stations and a video store earlier this month in Santa Clarita.

The businesses were robbed, several at gunpoint, by a teen-ager who authorities said sported the distinctive bowl-shape hairdo resembling the popular member of the Three Stooges.

``Every clerk who was robbed said that was him,'' said Detective John Bomben of the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station. ``It was cut long and straight on the top and short on the side.''

Too distinctive for a crook, deputies said. A photograph taken from a videotape of a Aug. 10 robbery of a Shell station in Saugus immediately jogged the memory of a patrol deputy.

The deputy remember stopping the youth for a traffic violation a few nights before, although a records check later showed the deputy was given a false ID, Bomben said.

However, with some additional investigation detectives eventually identified the teen-ager through motor vehicle records and learned that he had moved on to the Venice and Santa Monica area, Bomben said.

The detective then sent a photograph of the youth to Santa Monica police. Last week an officer patrolling the popular Third Street Promenade on horseback recognized the youth and arrested him.

``He walked up to her and was looking at her horse,'' Bomben said. ``He was pretty bold.''

The 17-year-old had been living on the streets of the Santa Clarita Valley after running away from a placement home in the Antelope Valley, Bomben said. His identity has not been released because of his age.

Meanwhile, based on other information provided by Santa Clarita detectives, Santa Monica police had picked up a car believed used in the robberies, Bomben said.

Although it had just been sold to a stranger, Bomben said it contained some documents that helped direct them to the getaway driver, who was arrested last week leaving the Saugus Cafe.

David Gerard, 20, of Saugus, was charged Tuesday in Newhall Municipal Court with three counts of armed robbery and two counts of commercial burglary. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered held in lieu of $180,000 bail pending trial.

The 17-year-old, who is being held at Sylmar Juvenile Hall, was charged with multiple counts of armed robbery. He also has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.