PHOENIX (CBS5) -
Two men accused of shoplifting and car theft are behind bars thanks to fast-acting employees of a Phoenix pool supply company.
Police said one of the suspects allegedly shoplifted at the Home Depot on Thunderbird Road and 26th Avenue and threatened an employee with an axe before taking off in the stolen car.
Officers chased the suspects into an industrial park on 24th Avenue, just south of Union Hills, where the men ditched the car in front Pool Corp.
"My wife and I were sitting over here in our chairs, enjoying our lunch hour," said Pool Corp employee Lee Thompson. "We started hearing the helicopters flying around."
Thompson said a white car barreled into the parking lot of Pool Corp where he works and two young men jumped out and ran. One darted around a building and the other bolted past Thompson, who figured they were wanted by police.
"I jumped up and headed after him," Thompson said.
Following a minor struggle, Thompson lead the suspect out of the pool supply warehouse.
"I said, 'you don't belong here, we're going to go outside and wait for police,'" Thompson said.
Thompson's co-worker, Jeffrey Headrick ran after the second suspect who tossed his backpack over a wall.
"The helicopter was overhead giving him instructions to put his hands on his head and I told him to get out from behind the vehicle and to put his hands up and do what the helicopter was telling him," Headrick said.
Headrick said the suspect gave up without a fight.
"He was scared, he was emotionally scared like he was crying because he got caught," Headrick said.
Both Thompson and Headrick said they're glad things ended as they did and that no one was hurt, especially after learning police found the axe in the back of the stolen car.
"They picked the wrong direction to run - a warehouse full of gentlemen," Headrick said.
Police have not released the names of the suspects - both men in their 20s.
They are likely facing several charges including shoplifting, aggravated assault and car theft.
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