A Florida man was arrested for credit card fraud while working a shift as Chuck E. Cheese.
According to police, 41-year-old Jermel Jones was entertaining kids at the Tallahassee family spot on July 23 when officers arrived to shut down the act.
Bodycam video released to NBC News earlier this week shows the moment two officers waded through arcade machines to confront the giant mouse. “Chuck E.’s a little bit busy, ma’am,” Officer Jarrett Cruz is heard saying as he moved toward the suspect. Then, directing his orders at the costumed character, he added: “Chuck E., come with me, Chuck E.”
Things only got stranger from there, even by Florida standards. Near the Cars and SpongeBob SquarePants games, officers struggled briefly to get the oversized mascot under control. “Florida man, stop resisting,” Cruz said, trying to wrangle the furry hands into cuffs. Kids and parents looked on in disbelief as the beloved pizza rat became the center of a very different kind of show.
Some parents tried to shield their children, while others demanded answers. One frustrated adult asked, in a rather hilarious moment, if Mickey Mouse would be treated the same way. Officer Cruz’s partner didn't answer the question, and kept his response short: “Have a good night.”
Eventually, the Florida man was led outside in full costume, before police helped him remove the mouse head, gloves, and massive shoes. He was charged with using a stolen credit card, though he denied the accusations.
For the families at Chuck E. Cheese that day, the birthday songs and arcade tokens were upstaged by the sight of a Florida man mascot being loaded into the back of a patrol car. As one kid reportedly asked while the mouse was led away: “What are you doing?”
For his part, though, Jones claimed he did nothing wrong.