Our hearts were warmed to a toasty temperature recently after hearing about a Montana man who cops said was intent on robbing a Papa John’s pizza joint, but left with a free meal after he broke down and tearfully admitted he needed cash to support his family. The compassionate clerk instead convinced him to leave with just a pizza and some chicken wings. Now cops say that whole sob story was all a lie.

Cops had been interested in finding the man, even if they weren’t going to charge him with anything, just so he wouldn’t repeat himself at other restaurants. And according to the Helena Independent Record, not only have they located him but officials say his “I need to rob this place to support my wife and kids” act was all a lie.

According to the newspaper, some digging into the 33-year-old’s background shows he has no kids living in Helena. Police claim he decided to make up the story about his suffering family when he saw there wasn’t much cash in the register — just $24.56.

We hope he enjoyed that pizza and wings, because he’s subsequently been arrested and charged on suspicion of felony robbery.

“[The man] said that when the register was placed on the counter, he realized there was hardly any money,” a police affidavit said that was reported by the paper. “At that point, [he] told the clerk the story about needing money for his wife and kids. [He] does not have any children in Helena and told me he was referring to his friends’ kids, who consider him an uncle.”

Police say would-be pizza restaurant robber invented sob story about kids [Independent Record]

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