Marine Sought in Holdups Arrested in Idaho

SAN DIEGO —  One of two Camp Pendleton Marines wanted in connection with six bank robberies in three states was arrested Friday in Idaho on suspicion of drunk driving, an FBI spokeswoman said.

Authorities believe Benjamin Michael Johns, 23, of Colorado Springs, Colo., took the lead role in robberies that he and Nicholas Paul Hills, 21, are wanted for in California, Oregon and Washington. Hills was arrested Wednesday.

Johns was arrested in Mountain Home, Idaho, about 1:30 a.m. Friday after a convenience store manager reported that he had stopped at the store and appeared to be very drunk, the FBI said.

The manager gave police a description of Johns’ vehicle and its license plate number. Shortly afterward, police stopped Johns’ van, which he had bought within the last two weeks in Rock Springs, Wyo. A check of the license number determined that he was wanted in the bank robberies, the FBI said.

Johns was to be arraigned on a drunk driving charge and transferred to federal custody.

Hills, 21, of Juneau, Wis., was arrested in Portland, Ore., after the FBI received a tip on his whereabouts, authorities said.

Both are expected to be extradited to San Diego.

Hills and Johns, who are lance corporals in an infantry unit, fled Southern California in August after authorities identified them as suspects in a Bank of America holdup.