Police in Hampton, Virginia, spent hours investigating an early-morning report of a robbery at a local Waffle House, sending out officers to do a door-to-door neighborhood canvas, sweeping the scene for evidence, and even bringing in the K-9 unit to help track down suspects.
But it was all just a joke.
Susan Alexandria Tinker, a 20-year-old Waffle House employee, had allegedly phoned in the bogus robbery report at 6 AM as part of an April Fools' Day prank on her coworkers.
"Sometimes we'll get incidents where kids are playing around on the phone," said Cpl. Mary Shackelford of the Hampton Police Division. "But usually it's nothing of this caliber."
Tinker was subsequently arrested and charged with falsely summoning police — a misdemeanor which carries a maximum sentence of 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
Tinker was also fired from her job at the Waffle House, and a spokesman for the company said "this kind of behavior" would not be tolerated.
[H/T: Guyism, screengrab via WAVY, mug shot via Daily Press]