SAN JOSE -- Three armed takeover bandits. who stormed into San Jose McDonalds Monday, herding the employees into a backroom and then fleeing with cash from the safe, were captured a short time later on commuter-clogged Highway280.

Sgt. Mike Sullivan said the incident began around 6 a.m. when police received a call of an armed robbery at the McDonalds on San Felipe and Yerba Buena.

“Luckily, it was just employees inside the restaurant,” Sullivan said. “They (the bandits) did a takeover style robbery. They took them (the employees) to the back safe and then fled with the cash… No one was hurt.”

Authorities said they were able to get a description of the getaway car from the employees.

“We had some good witnesses who got us the suspect vehicle – which was a red firebird,” Sullivan said. “A couple minutes later, one of our officers spotted the red firebird going onto 101 at Yerba Buena.”

The ensuing chase spilled over onto Highway 280, where the California Highway Patrol joined in. All traffic was halted in the northbound lanes, allowing the San Jose officers to execute “a high risk traffic stop.”

The three suspects were taken into custody without incident and evidence linking them to the robbery was found in the car.