‘It was all a lie:' Sheriff says robbery, sexual assault report was hoax to avoid deportation

A reported sexual assault and robbery at Bob’s Burgers in the city of SeaTac was bogus, the King County Sheriff said Monday afternoon.

Victims reported being robbed by at least two men wearing masks and said one was armed with a handgun. They said they were tied inside the store, and the suspects demanded money and then sexually assaulted two women customers.

Since Oct. 21, deputies were searching for a brown 2005 Ford F-150 pickup truck with a specific Washington license plate. Deputies told the public the suspects were armed and dangerous.

But “it was all a lie,” Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht said in a news conference Monday, adding that lives were put in danger.

Earlier on Monday, The Jason Rantz Show first reported the bogus account, saying it was an inside job in which the supposed victims thought the crime would prevent them from being deported.

Johanknecht confirmed that in her news briefing saying, "Our detectives believe the participants hoped to avoid deportation, applying for and receiving a federal U visa." Those are available to crime victims who have suffered abuse and who assist law enforcement in solving the crime.

Johanknecht said no one was in custody, and the investigation into the hoax is ongoing. The case is expected to be forwarded to the King County Prosecutor’s office.

Because King County and Washington state have sanctuary status, deputies and other law enforcement officials do not ask about a person's immigration status.

The owner of Bob's Burgers, located at 20054 International Blvd, told KIRO 7 she did not know of the plan and that it was concocted by another employee.

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