Escondido

In a stakeout operation at a yogurt shop Monday night, police arrested a man believed to be responsible for more than 30 robberies from Pacific Beach to North County, Escondido police Lt. Earl Callander said.

Gary Kosta, 32, entered Yummy’s Yogurt in the 300 block of West Felicita Avenue about 8:30 p.m. He displayed a handgun and demanded cash, Callander said. Detectives who had been watching the shop apprehended Kosta as he left.

Kosta, a parolee, has been linked to several small-business robberies in San Diego County that began in mid-September. Targets included convenience stores and dry cleaners. He often got less than $100, Callander said.

Kosta was booked into the County Jail in Vista on suspicion of five counts of robbery. San Diego police will seek additional charges, Callander said. Bail was set at $35,000.