HOLLYWOOD : Man Arrested in Series of Robberies of Convenience Stores, Gas Stations

Los Angeles police last week arrested a man believed responsible for at least six armed robberies of convenience stores and gas stations in the Hollywood area.

The suspect, Michael Jones, 19, also may be charged with attempted murder in the Nov. 9 shooting of a clerk at a Mobil gas station at 655 N. Western Ave., said Los Angeles Police Detective Steve Bucher. The attempted murder charge is pending an interview with the victim, who is hospitalized in stable condition with a gunshot wound in the abdomen, Bucher said. The victim has not been identified by police.

Jones, who was arrested Nov. 16, has been charged with six counts of robbery. He is likely to face additional robbery charges as police continue their investigation into similar holdups in the area, Bucher said. Jones may have committed eight or more robberies in the past month, he added.

In most of the crimes, the gunman entered the store and brought an item to the cash register for purchase. When the clerk rang up the sale and the cash drawer opened, the suspect pulled out a handgun and demanded that the clerk empty the register, Bucher said. It is unclear why the robber shot the Mobil station employee.

Most of the robberies netted the suspect a few hundred dollars each, police said.

Security cameras captured several of the robberies on videotape. The video, which was aired on local news broadcasts, and a $5,000 reward offered by Mobil Corp. led to a number of tips to the robber’s identity, Bucher said.

Several witnesses also described a man fitting Jones’ description after a Nov. 7 robbery of an AM/PM mini-mart at 5777 Hollywood Blvd. Among the witnesses was KCBS-TV reporter Judd McIlvain, who was reportedly held at gunpoint after he walked into the robbery in progress, police said. McIlvain reported that the gunman robbed him of a gold ring.

Investigators tracked down Jones, who was living on the streets in Hollywood, and arrested him without incident.