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Restaurant manager charged in sniper hoax
STAFFORD, Virginia (CNN) -- A restaurant manager was arrested Sunday for allegedly calling in a fake report of a sniper on a shopping center roof because, police say, he "wanted a day off." Richard L. Jones, 25, is charged under a new state statute against reporting a false terroristic threat, filing a false report, and obstruction of justice. Stafford County Sheriff Charles Jett said the department received an anonymous 911 call around 8:50 a.m. Sunday claiming a man was on the roof of the North Stafford Shopping Center with a rifle. The shopping center is half a mile away from Interstate 95, in a community between two cities where the sniper has struck. Emergency officials rushed to the scene, cordoned off a large area, and evacuated five businesses that were already open. A short time later, police received a call from a restaurant manager asking for their guidance on what to do with employees and whether the restaurant should close. Police say the call came from the same number as the original 911 call. A search of the shopping center and the area turned up no sign of anyone with a rifle. Detectives then began questioning Jones, the manager, who first denied making the 911 call but later admitted to it, Jett said. The sheriff said Jones admitted to making the false claim because he had been working long hours and has been living in his car. "He wanted a day off to find a place to live," Jett said. "He knew by our response we would take it very seriously and probably close the business." Jones, whose last known address is Woodbridge, Virginia, is now being held in a local jail. Investigators plan to meet with the sheriff's department to see whether any other charges should be filed.
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