Prank call to Morro Bay Burger King was no joke

A whopping big brickbat is on order for the “prankster” who phoned the Morro Bay Burger King late Saturday to warn employees of a gas leak. The caller — who pretended to be from the fire department — instructed employees to break windows, which they did, causing extensive damage.

Yes, the employees should have immediately called 911, rather than complying with the bogus order. But let’s not blame the victims here, OK? Panic can make even the most level-headed among us do the darndest things.

As for prank calls, when did they turn so malicious?

It’s one thing to randomly phone strangers and ask whether their refrigerators are running. It’s another to deliberately target a business, impersonate a public safety official and warn the innocent person on the other end of the line that he or she is in imminent danger. That’s not a prank. It’s a crime.

This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Prank call to Morro Bay Burger King was no joke."