Sheriff’s deputies quickly arrest two armed men who tried to rob the Walgreens in Chalmette early Monday

St. Bernard Sheriff James Pohlmann has stressed quick response to timely calls is the backbone of parish law enforcement and that proved true again early Monday when two armed Gretna men were caught within minutes of trying to rob the Walgreens at Judge Perez Drive at Paris Road in Chalmette.

Deputies responded to a call after 4:30 a.m. from within the store about a robbery in progress and minutes later arrested one man as he went out a back door and the other after he ran out the front and was found hiding in a dumpster of a business across the street on Paris Road, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

He said an employee managed to call the Sheriff’s Office about arobbery in progress shortly after the men came through the front door.

“The call and the quick response by our officers prevented a possible hostage situation or worse,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Investigators believe at least one more person is involved because the men appeared to have been dropped off from a vehicle seen on a store surveillance system but no else entered the store.

Leonard Gibson, 43, who has served prison time for a burglary conviction in Texas, and Ben Amos, 27, both of 810 Fried St., Gretna, were arrested when deputies came in as the two had herded a customer and two employees into a back room, the sheriff said.

No one was injured and the only item stolen was a cell phone from an employee, which was recovered. Two guns, two bandanas they wore over their faces, gloves and wraps they were using to try to tie up the victims were also recovered, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Gibson and Amos were booked with armed robbery and with aggravated kidnapping of the victims. A revolver Gibson carried was found to have been reported stolen in Texas and he was booked additionally with possession of a stolen gun and with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the sheriff said.

Leonard was arrested carrying a weapon as he left out a back door and Amos ran from the front door but was caught in a dumpster of a business across Paris Road from Walgreens. He admitted he had left a gun on a shelf in the store, which was found, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Both men are being held in St. Bernard Parish prison and no bond has been set.