Downtown South Bend patrons react to restaurant robbery

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Two men were arrested in connection with a robbery at the South Bend Chocolate Café on Thursday night in downtown South Bend.

South Bend Police were dispatched to the café around 10:20 p.m. to investigate a robbery.

An employee told police a man wearing a ski mask approached her as the store was closing.

The man took about cash, then asked for the safe, reports said.

The suspect then fled the area.

People out in Downtown South Bend Friday night said this robbery described this robbery as “rare” and “out of the blue.”

Aryana Miller, who works at Linden Grill across the street from the restaurant, said she was working when the robbery took place and didn’t notice anything until police got to the scene.

“I hope it’s an isolated event,” Dragos Minea, who was shopping downtown Friday night. “I really don’t think it’s something that’s going to happen every night or something to be worried about.”

During the investigation, 24-year-old Joseph Mourning was developed as the suspect who committed the robbery.

When Mourning was arrested at a Mishawaka hotel, detectives found a mask and $955 in his vehicle.

After speaking with investigators, 18-year-old Isaiah Pruitt was also arrested.

Miller said she still feels safe after the robbery across the street because of Downtown South Bend street agents and a constant police presence.

“It happens in a lot of other places more frequently than it does here in South Bend,” she said “I don’t feel anymore unsafe than I did, you know, from watching that or seeing that than I do now.”

Mourning was charged with armed robbery and robbery.

Pruitt was charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery and aiding, inducing or causing robbery.