Baltimore Police arrested two teens on suspicion of robbing a Riverside neighborhood convenience store after surveillance video showed bystanders stopping two people trying to leave with merchandise.

Officers responded Friday night to reports of a robbery at the Hat Mart Deli & Market, 445 E. Fort Ave., and arrested two 15-year-olds a short distance away. Police reported they recovered a holstered gun from one of the teens that was reportedly taken from one of the people trying to stop the robbery.

Both are facing robbery and theft charges in juvenile court, according to police. Their names were not released because of their ages.

This case recalls a similar situation in 2022 in the Little Italy neighborhood when surveillance video showed a car slamming into a restaurant after police said a teen attempted to steal a delivery driver’s car. The delivery driver clung to the outside of the car, then pulled the teen from behind the wheel and held him to the ground until officers arrived at the scene.

“It’s natural that people feel they need to take matters into their own hands. It’s not something we encourage. It’s not something we want,” said Jason Johnson, president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund and deputy commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department from 2016 to 2018. “We also want a situation where we can rely on the government to do it for us.”

A third person seen in the surveillance video will not face charges after investigators determined he was not involved in the crime, according to a spokesperson.

Have a news tip? Contact Alexa Ashwell at aashwell@sbgtv.com.