A 41-year-old man named Jermell Jarreau Jones was arrested in connection with a credit card theft investigation in Tallahassee, Florida. Jones was arrested in a full Chuck E. Cheese costume.
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According to a report by CBS News Miami, citing the Tallahassee Police Department, the incident occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23. At the Chuck E. Cheese located on Sharer Road, police located Jones after a fellow employee pointed at him, wearing the well-known mouse costume.
The Tallahassee Democrat spoke with police spokesperson Alicia Hill. She revealed that a victim had previously met with police at the Chuch E. Cheese parking lot on July 3. The victim told police that they had a party at the restaurant in June. However, she later noticed she had fraudulent charges on her credit card.
Hill told the outlet that police intended to walk with Jones outside to arrest him out of public view. Reportedly, one officer even talked to the suspect as if he were the character he was portraying. The officer told Jones, “Chuck E, come with me, Chuck E.”
However, things didn’t go as smoothly as hoped with the beloved pizza joint mascot.
“But when they approached him, he immediately tenses up and resists,” Hill said. “At this point they make the decision to put him in handcuffs, keeping in mind the safety of not only the customers, but the suspect, as well as the officers themselves.”
Mascot Charged
Allegedly, police officers found the stolen card in Jones’s possession. Given the dramatic and particular way in which he was arrested, Hill said that it was “unfortunate” that the suspect was “in a suit and in costume.”
Jermell Jarreau Jones was charged with theft of credit card, criminal use of personal identification information, and fraudulent use of a credit card over two times within six months, all felonies. He was booked into the Leon County Jail but has since been released on bond.
A member of the restaurant’s parent company, CEC Entertainment, shared a statement with the Tallahassee Democrat, addressing the incident.
“We are aware of an incident involving a part-time employee arrested at our Tallahassee location on Wednesday, July 23,” the statement said. “We have taken the appropriate action concerning the subject employee.”