Florida man threatened to bomb Papa John’s while ordering pizza, police say

A Florida man was arrested after allegedly threatening to bomb a Papa John’s when he became frustrated while ordering a pizza.

The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at a location in Lakeland, about 35 miles east of Tampa, when an employee got into an argument on the phone with a customer who referred to himself as “Jay” and hung up. The man, later identified as 24-year-old Johnny Vega, called back and threatened to kill the employee and said he can “bomb the store,” the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said.

It’s unclear what caused Vega and the employee to begin arguing.

The employee gave Vega’s name, phone number and address to police. When confronted by authorities, Vega denied ever calling the restaurant.

“Vega provided one of his coworkers phones in an attempt to pass it off as his own when asked to check his phone to see if the phone number matched,” deputies wrote in an arrest report. Vega also allegedly tried to hide his phone in a piece of furniture in a bedroom, deputies said.

“As a result of lying regarding the phone, Vega obstructed the investigation being conducted by the deputies,” the arrest report stated.

He was arrested and charged with false report concerning planting a bomb, tampering with or fabricating evidence and resisting an officer without violence.

Vega was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, the sheriff’s office said.