Police were searching Friday for a man who called more than a dozen pizzerias and restaurants across the state during the coronavirus outbreak, placed large orders -- some of which he said were intended for local police departments -- never picked them up and then berated the employees when they called him back, authorities said.

Sudeep Khetani, 34, whom police believed was living in the Orlando, Florida area, was charged with theft, but investigators were also looking to see if his alleged crimes were bias in nature or could be considered cyber harassment, according to a release from the South Brunswick Police.

Local detectives were working with Florida police, where Khetani was on probation for selling fake Disney World tickets, police said.

Pizzerias and restaurants have been donating food to police and local hospitals since the coronavirus pandemic hit the state in March and others have received calls from residents willing to pay for them to do so. Many of the businesses that Khetani targeted were ones that had done just that, police said.

“It is incomprehensible that a suspect would play on the goodwill of so many during these difficult times," South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka said in the release. “The suspect once placed an order saying it was coming to South Brunswick Police. We have had several residents send us food, which I appreciate tremendously, but this suspect has gone to a new low.”

Each time Khetani called and placed a large food order over the last month, he said he intended to pick it up or that it was intended for the local police, according to the release.

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When the pizzeria employees called back the phone number for the person who placed the order, Khetani would make statements about Italians and wished they would be afflicted with the coronavirus, police said.

Khetani used a voice override service to mask his real phone number, but South Brunswick Detective Tim Hoover and Middlesex County Prosecutors Office Detective Ryan Tighe were able to track his true identity, authorities said.

The scammed restaurants, which were located in Middlesex, Mercer and Somerset counties, have lost “several thousand” dollars from the Khetani’s fraudulent phone calls, according to the release.

“Our businesses are all struggling and every dollar matters,” Hayducka said. "I will not tolerate someone trying to take advantage of our community in these difficult days. I will pursue the strongest of charges and make sure our businesses get their money back.”

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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.