A Chuck E. Cheese employee was arrested while wearing the mouse costume during a child’s birthday party at one of the restaurant’s locations in Florida, authorities confirmed Thursday.
Jermell Jones, 41, was cuffed and marched out of the building while wearing the Chuck E. Cheese suit in Tallahassee. The mascot misconduct happened back on July 3, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Cops said an investigation began when a woman who had recently paid for a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party noticed about $100 worth of suspicious charges on her credit card, the Democrat reported.
When officers first arrived at the scene, they identified the suspect as an employee checking stamps at the front door. However, when they returned to make an arrest, he had changed into the famous mouse costume, according to the outlet.
“Tallahassee Police Department, y’all couldn’t let this man change out of his Chuck E. Cheese costume before arresting him in front of those kids?” one man asked in a Facebook post.
Tallahassee police said they tried to make the arrest discretely, but Jones “tense[d] up and resist[ed],” forcing them to march him through the restaurant.
“It is unfortunate that the person who is subject of this investigation and who we had probable cause on happened to be in a suit and in costume,” TPD spokeswoman Alicia Hill told the Democrat.
Jones was charged with credit card fraud, theft of a credit card and identity theft, according to Orlando NBC affiliate WESH. He has since been released on bail.
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