Suspected 'Midnight Bandit' Tracked Down In Bakersfield

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — An alleged gunman accused of committing nearly 60 robberies across Southern California as the "Midnight Bandit" was in custody Thursday.

KNX 1070's Brian Ping reports Jermaine Shepherd faces armed robbery and assault charges for allegedly targeting gas stations and fast food and convenience stores in 18 Southland cities.

Shepherd allegedly committed the string of robberies between April 2012 until June 2013, when Los Angeles County Sheriff's investigators held a press conference asking for the public's help in identifying the suspect.

Sheriff's Sgt. Carmen Arballo said authorities finally tracked down the 37-year-old in Bakersfield in late February.

"Using some of the technology, such as the surveillance cameras and so forth, they were able to gain valuable information and evidence," said Arballo.

Shepherd is accused of committing robberies in the cities of Anaheim, Bell, Buena Park, Burbank, Culver City, Garden Grove, Glendale, Huntington Park, La Palma, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Monterey Park, Newport Beach, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Southgate, and Torrance, according to authorities.

One of the clues was the unusual gait Shepherd had when he walked, according to Arballo.

Shepherd was arraigned and his bail set at $2.4 million. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 20.