ST. LOUIS • Two men suspected of burglaries were arrested Tuesday after one struggled with officers at a Steak 'n Shake in south St. Louis city, police said.

Officers were conducting surveillance of two suspects, both in their 30s, near Chippewa Street and Kingshighway Boulevard about 11:35 a.m., police said. The vehicle they were in was sought in several burglaries.

After their vehicle was spotted at a Steak 'n Shake, two female officers tried to arrest the men as they exited the restaurant, police said. After one of the men began punching the officers, they requested backup, authorities said.

The man was "resisting, and resisting significantly," police spokeswoman Erica Van Ross said.

A woman at the scene, Sherry Mortland, identified herself as the mother of the injured suspect. She said police told her that her son, William Mortland, had thrown a cheeseburger at one of the officers. The remains of a carry-out meal littered the parking lot near the car Sherry Mortland said her son had been driving.

More than two dozen officers came to help, and some fought with one of the men in attempts to handcuff him, police said. Officers arrested him at 11:42 a.m.; he was bleeding heavily from his head as paramedics escorted him into an ambulance.