Police allege the owners of a yet-to-open glass studio in North Lawrence took the law into their own hands by threatening and assaulting a man they suspected of burglarizing their store.

When a burglar stole glassware last week from B’s Glass, 311 N. Second St., no one reported it to police, said Sgt. Dan Ward, a Lawrence Police spokesman. Instead, three store owners conducted their own investigation, identified a 24-year-old drywall worker from Carbondale as the suspect and had him come to the store Friday night, Ward said.

“They interrogated him. They restrained him, struck him and threatened to hit him with a metal pipe,” he said.

Ward said the men also took items from the Carbondale man’s truck.

Police arrived during the incident after someone in the area called about a disturbance, Ward said.

Ward said the three men arrested were the store’s owners.

Prosecutors on Monday charged them with robbery, aggravated assault, auto burglary and making a criminal threat. They are Brian J. Hawk, 23, Kansas City, Kan.; Brendon B. Hodgson, 22, Lawrence; and Christopher J. Kerner, 27, Lawrence.

District Court Judge Pro Tem Peggy Kittel set bond for each at $15,000.

Ward said he couldn’t speculate why the men decided to not report the original burglary to police.

The Carbondale man has not been arrested.