The armed robbery reported at a Lawrence Subway restaurant earlier this week was a hoax, Lawrence police later discovered. An employee is now suspected of fabricating the story to steal money from the business.

Initially, the alleged victim — a Subway employee — reported being outside the restaurant at 4000 W. Sixth St. Tuesday afternoon when a man brandishing a knife demanded cash. The employee provided police with a description of the suspect and his clothing, and said the man ran north from the area.

But that isn’t actually what happened, police now say.

“During the course of the investigation, information did not match up to the statement being provided,” Rhoads said via email Thursday. “It was determined a robbery did not occur, rather an internal theft.”

Rhoads said the undisclosed amount of money that was stolen had been recovered.

She said no arrests had been made but that police intended to submit arrest affidavits for the district attorney’s office to consider charging the suspect and an accomplice.