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Three gun-wielding thieves in Colorado allegedly robbed a cheque-cashing business, but, before they could escape, a fourth person stole their getaway car, police said.

Commerce City police arrested two of three suspects on Saturday, describing the series of events as "an unexpected and ironic twist".

Adding to the irony, their car may have "already been stolen", police wrote on Facebook. "We don't know."

Police say an investigation is ongoing.

On Saturday morning, three armed and masked people attempted to rob Hi Lo Check Cashing, the Commerce City Police Department said in a statement. They are believed to be under 18, according to local news, citing a spokesperson for the department.

"As the trio was robbing the business…a fourth criminal stole their getaway vehicle," police said.

Before the alleged thieves could flee on foot, "officers infiltrated the area and quickly chased" them down, police said.

"We are relieved no one was injured," police said.

The Shakespearean-like coincidence of robbers getting robbed at the scene was not lost upon Facebook users who commented on the Commerce City police's Facebook post.

One woman asked if this was from Grand Theft Auto, with a laughing emoji.

"What a plot twist," another user wrote, to which the police responded, "we can't make this stuff up".

Car thefts have been on the rise in the US, up nearly 11% in 2022, according to the latest FBI data. Meanwhile, check cashing stores, which have hundreds of dollars of cash on hand, are frequent robbery targets.