Police arrest robbery suspect

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- Police arrested a 32-year-old man Wednesday who they say

is the “Yellow Jacket Bandit” suspected in a string of robberies in Costa

Mesa and Huntington Beach.

Police made the arrest after tracking down Michael Dunkovich’s car and

waiting for him to return to it.

Dunkovich is suspected of robbing three Costa Mesa gas stations and

one Huntington Beach liquor store since Saturday.

“He always had a yellow denim jacket, which he either wore or draped

over his arm while he carried a gun,” said Costa Mesa Police Lt. John

FitzPatrick. “He would point the gun at the clerk and aggressively demand

money from the cash register. He stole about $1,300 all together.”

The police found the car based on a tip that came in after a robbery

that took place at 9:52 a.m. Wednesday at the Campus Shell gas station at

1201 W. Baker St., FitzPatrick said.

The getaway car, which witnesses described as a dark imported vehicle,

was found at a Costa Mesa hotel, FitzPatrick said.

Police staked out the car and arrested Dunkovich without a struggle at

3:45 p.m.

Dunkovich was booked at the Costa Mesa jail with bail set at $50,000.

Police did not have information late Wednesday on where Dunkovich

lives.