Restaurant employees charged after swatting themselves by faking robbery with ChatGPT

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Two restaurant workers in Ohio are in trouble with the law after allegedly using ChatGPT to make up a story about a robbery. This false report caused police and emergency services to rush to the scene.

On December 15th, police responded to Rubin’s Deli & Restaurant in Elyria, Ohio, after receiving reports of a robbery in progress. Several masked individuals were reportedly inside the building.

Elyria police responded quickly to a call, but when they arrived, everything seemed normal. Customers were still inside the restaurant, and there was no sign of any crime happening.

Police say fake robbery call was AI

Police announced that their initial investigation revealed the report was a complete fabrication—a prank pulled by two employees. They explained the prank involved using artificially generated content, which is becoming increasingly common on social media.

So, it turns out two guys, Todd Durst, 45, and Luis Acevedo Jr., 40, were behind this whole mess. Durst stuck around when the cops showed up and didn’t cause any trouble, so they arrested him right there. They’re charging him with a bunch of stuff – basically, making a fake emergency call (swatting), messing with the police, and causing panic. He’s currently being held at the Lorain County Jail until his court date.

Police say Acevedo Jr. left the restaurant before they arrived and is still wanted for arrest. They have issued warrants for his arrest on related charges. While his car was found at the location, investigators think he ran away while officers were interviewing other staff.

According to a police report obtained by PEOPLE, Robert Durst supposedly used ChatGPT to create a fake image and sent it to someone named Acevedo Jr. Acevedo Jr. then shared the image with the restaurant owner, who thought it was genuine and contacted the police.

I saw this crazy image online – it looked like a bunch of people wearing masks and blue gloves were inside the restaurant. It was like a security camera view, showing them from multiple angles. The police said they got the picture as part of their investigation and it was uploaded to their system as evidence.

The Elyria Police Department has issued a warning: creating fake emergencies using artificial intelligence is a crime. These hoaxes pull police away from genuine emergencies and can lead to severe penalties.

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2025-12-17 18:49