A Troy man accused of robbing the Tipp O’ The Town restaurant in Tipp City and the Pearson House Restaurant in West Milton on consecutive days in November pleaded not guilty to two felony aggravated robbery indictments Jan. 7 in Miami County Common Pleas Court.

Walter Schwytzer III, 44, was arrested Nov. 28 outside the Tipp O’ The Town on West Main Street at Interstate 75 after he allegedly held up the business but was stopped in the parking lot by an area firearms instructor.

He was accused of walking into the restaurant just before noon and handing a waitress a note saying, “I have a gun. Give me the money fast and quietly.”

The waitress complied, the man put the money in his pocket and told her to “have a nice day” before running out the door, Tipp City police reported.

A restaurant customer who was told what had just happened chased after the robber and stopped him as he started getting into a car. The customer was found by police holding the alleged robber in a headlock behind the business.

The customer told police he had a license to carry a concealed weapon and was a weapons course instructor. He had a weapon with him and drew the gun when he saw the alleged robber getting into the vehicle. He ordered the man out of the vehicle and onto the ground, where he held him until police arrived.

Police said $547.16 stolen from the restaurant was recovered.

Schwytzer also was indicted for aggravated robbery in the Nov. 27 hold up of the Pearson House on State Route 48 in downtown West Milton. Police there said a man walked into the business around 9:30 a.m. and handed an employee a note indicating he had a gun and demanding money.

The man took the money and left on foot, police said.

The aggravated robbery charges are first-degree felonies carrying possible prison terms of three to 11 years each.

At the arraignment, Public defender Steve Layman asked Judge Jeannine Pratt to set a “reasonable” bond for Schwytzer, who was being held on $250,000 bail set following his arrest.

Prosecutors asked for the bond’s continuation, noting the nature of the charges.

Pratt set the total bond for the charges at $150,000 cash.

A pretrial hearing for Schwytzer was scheduled for Jan. 19 in Pratt’s court.