DANVILLE -- A 38-year-old Philadelphia man was arrested Monday evening after a short foot pursuit by police who caught him in the act of trying to rob Ryan's Jewelers in Danville with a female accomplice.

Eric J. Smith was being arraigned before District Judge Marvin Shrawder, of Danville, at press time on charges of robbery, unlawful restraint, aggravated assault and theft. Authorities were still searching for the alleged accomplice, who was described as a young African-American woman with short hair and well-dressed.

According to Montour County District Attorney Robert Buehner Jr., several citizens alerted Danville police officer Gerard Zeidler Jr., who was in front of the police station on Mill Street speaking with other citizens, seconds after seeing Smith and his accomplice acting suspiciously in the jewelry store, 267 Mill St., between 5:15 to 5:30 p.m.

Zeidler then ran down the street to the store and interrupted the robbery in progress, Buehner said. Smith ran out the back door, while his accomplice fled in the other direction, according to Buehner.

Smith was stopped along Continental Boulevard minutes later by Buehner, who used his car to block Smith's path. Zeidler and Danville Sgt. William Wilt apprehended Smith in the street before taking him back to the police station for processing, Buehner said.

"Zeidler and Wilt were heroic in apprehending Smith, who was in the process of committing a serious crime here in downtown," Buehner said. "We're still in the process of working with the store owners to ascertain from the inventory what has not been recovered."

Buehner estimated that more than $100,000 worth of jewelry was involved in the robbery.

During the robbery attempt, Buehner said Smith restrained one employee while another employee and a customer were in the store. No one was seriously injured, although the three victims and Zeidler were affected by pepper spray that was used to halt the robbery, according to Buehner.

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