ELYRIA — Two employees of an Elyria deli are facing criminal charges after police say they fabricated an armed robbery report that prompted a large police response Monday morning.
According to the Elyria Police Department, officers were dispatched at approximately 9:14 a.m. on December 15 to Rubin’s Deli at 312 Chestnut Commons Drive after receiving a call reporting an active robbery involving multiple masked suspects.
Due to the seriousness of the report and the potential threat to public safety, all available Elyria police officers and detectives responded. Officers arrived within minutes and secured the business.
A preliminary investigation determined the report was entirely false and had been fabricated by two restaurant employees as part of a prank, police said.
Investigators later determined the hoax involved the use of artificial intelligence–generated content to make the false emergency appear more credible. Elyria police described the incident as part of a growing trend involving staged emergencies and social media pranks that divert emergency resources and put the public at risk.
The individuals were identified as Todd Durst, 45, and Luis Acevedo Jr., 40.
Durst remained at the scene and was taken into custody without incident. He has been charged with swatting, a fourth-degree felony; obstructing official business, a fourth-degree felony; and inducing panic, a first-degree misdemeanor. He was transported to the Lorain County Jail, where he remains in custody pending an initial court appearance.
Acevedo fled the business before officers arrived. Arrest warrants have been issued for him on the same charges, and efforts to locate him are ongoing.
In a statement, the Elyria Police Department warned that fabricated emergency reports, including those enhanced with artificial intelligence, are criminal acts with serious real-world consequences. Police said such hoaxes divert resources from real emergencies, endanger lives, and undermine public safety.
Booking photos were not available at the time of the release.