Suspected Burger King bandit nabbed in Yuba City

A suspected Linda gang member has been linked to last week's armed robbery of a fast-food restaurant, the Yuba County Sheriff's Department reported.

Sheriff's deputies said James Michael Kidd, 22, robbed a Linda Burger King on Nov. 23 at gunpoint and escaped with a small amount of cash. No one was injured and no shots were fired.

Kidd was arrested in Yuba City on Thursday near River Valley High School after a short foot chase with US marshals.

"Through the crime scene investigation and multiple witness interviews, investigators identified Kidd as a suspect in the case," Sheriff Steve Durfor said in a statement.

Kidd was booked into the Sutter County Jail and transferred to Yuba County on suspicion of robbery and a parole violation. Bail was set at $100,000.

Following the Burger King robbery, sheriff's deputies believed they'd tracked the suspect to a nearby hotel room in Linda. Deputies evacuated the north wing of the Motel 6 and stormed a second-story room, but came up empty.

US marshals spotted Kidd in the backseat of a vehicle around 2:15 p.m. near South Colusa Frontage and El Margarita roads. "He tried to run away, but we got him," said Charles Brown, a spokesman for the US Marshal's Service.

Marshals detained three other vehicle occupants, but they were released a short time later, Brown said.

The US Marshal's Fugitive Task was assisted by the state Parole Fugitive Apprehension Team, local probation officers and the Yuba City Police Department.

Brown described Kidd as a "known gang member with a history of violence."

Kidd's state prison record was not available Friday.

Locally, Kidd has been arrested numerous times since 2008, mostly on misdemeanor marijuana charges. He has addresses listed in Linda, Yuba City, Alameda and Oregon, according to court records.

Kidd pleaded guilty in 2008 in Yuba County to embezzling cash from a 92-year-old woman with Alzheimer's. He was sentenced to three years probation, but left a court-ordered treatment program a short time later and was sent to prison, court records state.

He pleaded no contest in 2009 to a spousal abuse felony in Sutter County and was sentenced to three years probation, according to court records.

Kidd was the second suspected gang member arrested this week in connection with armed robberies in Yuba County.

Carlos Peter Almendariz was arrested in connection with back-to-back armed robberies of two 7-Eleven stores in Marysville on Monday night. Almendariz, 20, was still in custody Friday night on $100,000 bail.

Authorities have noted a spike in armed robberies, particularly in Marysville, over the last four months.