A reported armed robbery at a Lancaster County outlet store turned out to be a fabrication, according to East Lampeter Township Police.
Caleb Steele, 24, was charged after investigators determined he staged a robbery at the Pepperidge Farm Outlet Store at The Shoppes at Rockvale, police announced on Monday, June 8.
Officers responded to the store at 35 S. Willowdale Dr. at 8:42 p.m. on Sunday, March 23, after Steele, the store's assistant manager, reported he had just been robbed.
Steele told police he had closed the store and was leaving when a man approached him, pressed a hard object into his back, and forced him back inside, according to the release.
The alleged robber then ordered Steele to open the store safe, took cash, and fled through a rear door, police said.
During the investigation, detectives determined the incident never happened and that Steele had fabricated the robbery report, according to authorities.
Police said Steele and a co-defendant were charged in connection with the theft.
Steele was charged with:
- Theft By Unlawful Taking.
- Criminal Use Of Communication Facility.
- False Reports.
The charges were filed with Magisterial District Judge B. Denise Commins on Friday, May 1, according to police.
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