Calling in fake Taco Bell robbery to avoid ticket doesn't quite work out

A west suburban man who called in a bogus robbery to get out of a traffic stop ended up with several citations and a felony arrest warrant, according to police.

Police were called to a report of an armed robbery at the Taco Bell at 145 E. North Ave. in Glendale Heights just before 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, according to Glendale Heights police.

When officers arrived, they discovered no robbery had occurred and the report was apparently false, a statement from police said.

Detectives were eventually able to trace the number used to make the call to the cell phone of 25-year-old Michael Cooper of Bellwood, police said.

A Carol Stream police officer had pulled Cooper over on North Avenue near the Taco Bell about the time the robbery was reported, police said. Cooper falsely reported the robbery hoping the officer would have to respond and let him out of the traffic stop.

However, Cooper was still issued several tickets by Carol Stream police, and was later charged with one count of attempted disorderly conduct for making a false police report, according to Sgt. Douglas Flint of the Glendale Heights police.

An arrest warrant was issued for Cooper with a bond of $3,500, police said. The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to a year in jail.

Cooper was not in custody as of late Monday morning, Flint said.