SIKESTON, Mo.-- Police say a cab driver made a false robbery report Friday morning in an alleyway behind the 200 block of Ruth Street.

Officers checked the immediate area after first talking to the driver but found no evidence to corroborate his story, officials said.

Police did find an empty money bag a short distance from the cab. The department's K-9 officer, Syr, could not locate a track except to where the money bag was found, police said.

Police said that in subsequent interviews the driver admitted he lied about the robbery and produced from his wallet the money taken from the money bag. He was then arrested on suspicion of filing a false police report and released pending the filing of formal charges.

Suspect in Hibbett's robbery is former worker

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Police say three men are in custody after robbing the manager of Hibbett's Wednesday night.

The manager, Ty Tucker, was walking to his vehicle with a money bag when he was jumped by one of the suspects, who struck him and took the bag, police said.

A witness called the Department of Public Safety and reported seeing the suspect get into a vehicle with two other persons. The witness followed the vehicle as it drove south on U.S. 61.

Sikeston authorities alerted the Miner police department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The license plate checked to a Bertrand address. A Miner police officer found the vehicle on South AA about 10 minutes after the initial report. All suspects were taken into custody without incident, police said. The bag of money was recovered.

One suspect was a former employee of Hibbett's, Joseph Westbrook, 22, of Bertrand, police said. The other men were Christopher Kreitzburg, 20, and Jacob W. McDermott, 18, both of Bertrand. The men were charged in New Madrid County with second-degree robbery and remain in custody on bonds of $5,000 each.