ROBBERY SUSPECT ARRESTED MAN HELD IN SERIAL INCIDENTS.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer

PALMDALE - A 21-year-old Palmdale man has been arrested in connection with a string of robberies around central Palmdale over the past four months.

William Brandon was charged in six robberies and one attempted robbery, including incidents in which a taxicab driver was hit on the head with a hammer and a pizza delivery driver was robbed of pizzas, $18 and a wedding ring.

``They were all street-level things,'' Deputy Dave Jennings said. ``The detectives are still looking at him for other robberies and they also are looking for his accomplices on at least two robberies.''

Brandon was arrested Wednesday after detectives served a search warrant at his home in the 2000 block of East Avenue Q-6, which was within a few blocks of the robberies. He was jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Brandon was earmarked as a possible suspect after a deputy spotted him Monday and questioned him following an incident involving a Chinese restaurant delivery driver, Jennings said.

The deputy didn't have enough evidence to link Brandon to that incident, but took down his name and other information. Detectives later used Brandon's photograph in a photo lineup shown to an employee in one of the stores that was robbed, and the employee picked Brandon, Jennings said.

The first of the incidents to which Brandon was linked was Sept. 18 at the Blockbuster video store in the 1700 block of East Palmdale Boulevard. The same store was robbed again Nov. 2, and a third time Dec. 29.

The taxi driver was robbed on Palmdale Boulevard less than 30 minutes before the Dec. 29 Blockbuster robbery. He told police that two men attacked and robbed him, hitting him on the head during a struggle, deputies said.

On Christmas Day, a pizza delivery driver delivering in the 2100 block of East Avenue Q-6 was approached by two men who said the pizzas were theirs, authorities said. One grabbed the driver by the collar and demanded money. They also took the pizzas and a wedding ring.

Other incidents were at a 7-Eleven store at Palmdale Boulevard and 20th Street East on Dec. 8 and A-Plus Water in the 1800 block of East Palmdale Boulevard on Jan. 1, Jennings said.