City man charged in Pita Pit robbery

A Charlottesville man has been charged with robbing a Pita Pit restaurant on the Corner early Thursday morning, albeit not very successfully, said city police Lt. Gary Pleasants.

A man walked into the Pita Pit restaurant on 14th Street Northwest just after closing, looking for food, Pleasants said.

But the manager told him that the restaurant had stopped cooking food, Pleasants said.

The manager did offer the man a pickle, which he grabbed before leaving, Pleasants said.

At about 2:10 a.m., the man returned as the manager was going through the cash drawer, Pleasants said.

The man, who had his hand under his sweatshirt, told the manager not to close the cash drawer, implying that he had a gun, Pleasants said.

The manager told the would-be robber that he thought he was bluffing and he tried to shut the drawer, Pleasants said.

The two struggled for control of the cash, Pleasants said.

The intruder got hold of “a small amount” of cash and took off running, with the manager in pursuit, Pleasants said.

At 13th Street Northwest and Wertland Street, a bystander grabbed the fleeing man, and University of Virginia police responded to the scene, Pleasants said.

When the police got there, the bystander let go of the captive, Pleasants said.

“He ran off before the university officer could get his hands on him,” Pleasants said.

A city police officer stopped and arrested Anthony Lorenzo Watkins, 41, of 526 B Cleveland Ave., nearby, Pleasants said.

Watkins had money from the cash register in his pocket when he was arrested and is facing one charge of robbery, Pleasants said.