A quick-thinking group of citizens, including one armed with a hammer, helped subdue a robbery suspect last night in Lawrenceville until police arrived.

Arrested was Richard Ellsler, 36, of Bloomfield. He faces being charged with one count of robbery, said Pittsburgh police Lt. Scott Schubert.

The incident began about 6:45 p.m., Schubert said, when a man wearing white shorts and a white T-shirt entered a Subway restaurant in the 4000 block of Butler Street.

After ordering a sandwich and walking to a cooler for a bottle of water, the man placed his hand in a shoulder bag and told a 26-year-old worker to hand over all her money, Schubert said.

When she opened the cash drawer, however, the woman took the money and ran out a rear door, Schubert said.

As the suspect ran out the front door, the woman went across the street to Supreme Pizza, where she told the owner, Hassan Farah, that a man had just tried to rob the store.

Farah said he jumped into his vehicle to pursue the man while his friend, Dave Lattner, of Mount Oliver, got into his truck and also gave chase.

Within a few minutes, Lattner, armed with a claw hammer taken from his truck, confronted the man in the 300 block of 44th Street and told him not to move, Schubert said.

Several nearby residents joined in to subdue the man before officers from the Hill District station arrived, Schubert said.

"I'm glad we got the guy," said Farah, who said his own store was robbed late last year.

While noting that he usually doesn't encourage citizens to get involved in arrests, Schubert said, "We do appreciate help from the community. We're just happy this worked out well and nobody got hurt."

First Published: May 13, 2004, 4:00 a.m.