MIDVALE — Just as police and K-9s stopped searching for a man and woman suspected of robbing a restaurant at gunpoint, a local security officer spotted the duo, leading to their arrest early Saturday.

A 19-year-old woman and man in his 20s held two employees at Buca di Beppo, 935 E. Fort Union Blvd., at gunpoint just after midnight and proceeded to steal the cashbox holding the restaurant's night income from the manager, police said.

A family member of an employee called police, who surrounded the nearby area with K-9 units from local police agencies, but stopped the search after an hour, said Midvale Police Sgt. Gregg Olsen.

In the meantime, a local security guard patrolling the nearby Country Wood Apartments at 995 E. Fort Union Blvd., had spotted a suspicious couple in a car, got out of his vehicle and approached. The guard had been listening to the search via a police scanner and noticed a cashbox behind the passenger seat in the back of the car, Olsen said.

A Cottonwood Heights officer and K-9 returned to the area after the search ended and were called over by the security guard. The man and woman were arrested for investigation of armed robbery, Olsen said.

Police said the man confessed to the armed robbery, and the female requested an attorney. Police are waiting for a warrant to inspect the vehicle.

— Lana Groves