Howell Pizza Hut Employee Busted For Faking 'Armed Robbery:' PD

HOWELL – That report about an armed robbery at the Pizza Hut? It was fake, police say.

Joseph Baude, 30, of Ocean Township, a Pizza Hut employee, apparently did it because he wanted a raise, police said.

Nearby schools had to do shelters-in-place and 26 police officers responded because of it, police said.

Baude was arrested and charged with creating a false alarm and false report to police. He was released pending his court appearance.

The incident happened at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Friday when Howell Police Communications received a 9-1-1 call from Baude reporting an armed robbery.

Baude claimed he was confronted by a male suspect who brandished a handgun while demanding cash. He claimed he fought off the suspect who then fled empty-handed, police said.

Approximately 26 on-duty Howell police officers responded and spent nearly two hours on a perimeter or searching for this suspect, police said.

Early on, police were suspicious but had to thoroughly investigate and take precautionary measures, police said.

This included providing security for both the Goddard School and the Southard School.

Video footage was showed no one exited the door Baude claimed. The investigation then turned to him, police said.

The shelters-in-place were lifted. A few officers were kept in the area to ease the residents as children returned from school.

On Friday evening, after interviewing Baude, he admitted to Howell detectives that he lied, police said.

The reason? He wanted to look favorable with corporate so he could get a raise. He was remorseful and realized the extent of his actions, police said.