Lackawanna police have arrested two men in connection with a bizarre weekend robbery that left both suspects locked inside the gas station after one of them pulled out a BB gun, detectives reported today.

And police say the younger suspect was caught after he fled through an emergency exit and later was spotted by Buffalo police running on South Park Avenue without his pants.

The unusual robbery led Lackawanna police to charge Michael W. Deering, 45, and Christopher Gorzynski, 19, both of Altruria Street, Buffalo, with robbery and conspiracy. Deering also was charged with criminal facilitation, accused of supplying the BB gun.

Police say that Deering, believed to be the father of Gorzynski's girlfriend, lives with the couple in their Buffalo residence.

The robbery occurred shortly before 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Getty station on South Park Avenue, near the Lackawanna-Buffalo border. Detectives believe the two thieves targeted the station because at least one of them knew the clerk working at that time.

Deering is accused of going into the store to talk with the clerk and distract him, before Gorzynski walked in and pulled out the BB gun, police say.

The clerk, according to police, sensed trouble, ran out the store and locked both suspects inside. The thieves then took an undetermined amount of cash.

Meanwhile, Gorzynski left the store through the emergency exit, while Deering stayed inside, police said. The younger man ran back toward his Buffalo residence, taking off his distinctive pants, described as black with small skulls.

Buffalo police, responding to a report of a man exposing himself, picked up the younger suspect and later conferred with Lackawanna police about the robbery.

Lackawanna detectives also suspected that the "witness" to the robbery, identified as Deering, might be part of the robbery plan.

"We suspected Deering was involved, but we couldn't prove it until Gorzynski gave us a statement," said Capt. Ronald Miller, who investigated the case with Lt. Joseph Leo and Police Officer John Hruby.

Police say they have evidence of a cell-phone conversation between the two men after the first one entered the store. They also hope to find DNA evidence from both suspects on the BB gun.