Three men tried to steal a pizza Sunday from a DeKalb restaurant delivery person who was punched by one of the thieves during the incident.

A delivery person from Pagliai’s restaurant, 119 S. First St., took a $12.50 pizza to 820 Kimberly Drive, said DeKalb Police Lt. Chuck Kross. When the delivery person arrived, three men who were waiting outside the building said the pizza was for them, Kross said.

While one man started taking money out to pay for the pizza, the other two men began arguing, Kross said. Then, one of the men yanked the box out of the delivery person’s hand. When the delivery person tried to get the pizza back, he was punched, Kross said.

The incident is under investigation, but Kross said he thinks the three men ordered the pizza fraudulently and never intended to pay for it.

Thieves have tried to steal pizzas from Pagliai’s delivery people at least three times during the 1990-1991 school year, said Pagliai’s manager Tom Brown.

The delivery person, described as a 19-year-old male Kishwaukee Community College student, did not have to try to get the pizza back from the thieves, Brown said.

“He was outnumbered 3-1. We don’t have a policy on this, but we tell them not to put themselves in danger,” Brown said.