A Chico State student was arrested in connection with a spree of armed robberies that began Wednesday night.
Michael Donald Mullen, 20, was arrested on suspicion of two counts of robbery at an ATM and on suspicion of receiving stolen property, according to a Chico Police Department press release.
His alleged partner, Andrei Butler, identified as a 20-year-old Butte College student by Chico police, was also arrested on suspicion of robbery and on suspicion of robbery at an ATM. The two are considered different crimes under California law.
Mullen and Butler allegedly went to the Bank of America ATM at Fifth and Salem streets shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday, where Butler allegedly approached a man at the ATM, brandished a gun and demanded money, according to police.
Mullen and Butler then allegedly used the money to purchase and use Oxycontin, authorities said.
The two men then allegedly drove back to the scene of the first robbery and switched clothes with each other, according to police.
Butler is suspected of using the same method of robbing the first victim to later extract money and a cell phone from two females at the same location shortly before midnight, police said.
The two suspects then drove to the Safeway parking lot on West Sacramento Avenue, where Butler allegedly approached two Chico State students around 12:30 a.m. Thursday, drew a gun and demanded they give him their wallets, police said. Butler took the wallets and left on foot, police said.
Officer Mark Bass of the Chico Police Department, who was patrolling the area, thought the robbers may try the same thing again soon, so he kept the parking lot under surveillance, said Chico Police Sgt. Rob Merrifield.
“He realized that they might be dumb enough to come back to that location,” Merrifield said.
Bass waited until the two suspects returned and spotted Mullen walking through the parking lot in a hooded sweatshirt. Bass then approached the suspects’ vehicle and placed both of them under arrest.
After a search, Bass found that Mullen had a BB gun pistol in his waistband. Authorities suspect the BB gun was the weapon used in the previous robberies.
Both Mullen and Butler were booked into the Butte County Jail on Thursday.
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