Some residents of a Beaufort County neighborhood are wondering why deputies kept them from leaving their subdivision for several hours Monday night.

The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office says the Travel Store, also referred to as the Mini Mart on River Road was held up around 8:45 p.m. Monday.

People in the Pamlico Village neighborhood say they were stopped by deputies as they drove to their homes during the investigation while visitors were told they could not leave, even several hours later.

Deputies say they spotted the suspected getaway car in the robbery and attempted to pull it over. A chase began down Highway 32 onto Terra Ceia Road. That's when the car ended up in a yard and the three were arrested after a brief foot chase.

Sean Fields II of Belhaven, Markell Barnes of Washington, and Lamar Hawkins, also of Washington, have been charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and resisting a public officer. Fields is also charged with felony fell to elude arrest.

All three men are in the Beaufort County jail on $80,000 secured bonds.

The sheriff's department says they kept the neighborhood secure for so long because they thought a fourth suspect might have been involved in the robbery.

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