Greenhouse Cafe Robbed In Early Morning Heist

Three men were arrested in Belmont early yesterday morning after they robbed the Greenhouse Cafe of $2000 and led police officers from three local forces on a high-speed chase.

The three men, who reportedly have no connection with the University, were nabbed in the Boston suburb after officers from Harvard, Cambridge and Belmont received a copy of the getaway car's license plate from a Greenhouse employee.

Two of the men entered the offices of the Science Center coffee shop at 6:45 a.m. and reportedly made "overt threats to the life" of the Greenhouse manager, who was tallying accounts in front of an open safe, said the University's Deputy Chief of Police Jack W. Morse.

Morse called the amount of cash stolen "an appreciable amount." George Valentin, a Cafe employee of seven months and the one who chased the thieves to their car and copied the license plate, said that $2000 was taken from the safe.

All of the cash was recovered when the men, who were later arraigned in Cambridge district court, were arrested.

Despite threats, the men reportedly used no visible weapons. Morse said the pair pushed the manager against a wall during the robbery, but added that she suffered no injuries.