Burger King robbery foiled when employee steals the getaway car and hides it

Cops say that unidentified worker slipped out a back door while the fast food restaurant was being robbed - and found the suspects' getaway car

He drove off and effectively hid the vehicle when he parked it around the block

Police arrested 23-year-old Jeremy Lovitt and 19-year-old Gabriel Gonzales in the heist

A duo of bumbling hamburglars have been collared after a Burger King employee made off with their getaway car as they robbed the restaurant, police say - giving new meaning to the phrase 'home of the whopper.'



The mishap began when two men allegedly stormed the Burger King in Stockton, California on Thursday with guns blazing and demanded cash.



But while the suspects focused on emptying the register and a safe, a valiant employee was able to sneak out the fast food joint’s back door and found their car - and it was running.

Have it your way: A duo of thieves tried to rob this Burger King in Stockton, California, but were thwarted when an employee turned the tables on them by stealing their getaway car, police say

The employee then got behind the wheel and drove off, hiding the vehicle around the block, CBS Sacramento reported.



The worker's efforts successfully turned the tables on the slow-witted hooligans, who rushed out of the Burger King to find that someone had thrown a monkey wrench into their clean getaway plans.

Choiceless, the alleged thieves decided to make a break for it - on foot.

As they tried to make their escape through the high grass of a nearby field, police responded to the the scene and slapped cuffs on 23-year-old Jeremy Lovitt and 19-year-old Gabriel Gonzales.

Busted: Jeremy Lovitt, left, and Gabriel Gonzales, right, were arrested close to the scene of the robbery

Escape: Without a car, the suspects tried to make a break for it on foot through the high grass of a nearby field near the Burger King

The Stockton Police Department lauded the Burger King employee, who was not identified, for his efforts in thwarting the robbery.



Officer Joe Silva told CBS Sacramento : 'The quick action from this employee did allow our officers to get on scene and arrest the suspects.'

All of the money that was taken in the heist was recovered and brought back to the Burger King.

Fox40 reported that Lovitt and Gonzales were booked into the San Joaquin County Jail, where they rejected an interview request.