Drama unfolded at a Chuck E. Cheese in Tallahassee after a man wearing the franchise’s popular mouse costume was arrested inside the restaurant in connection with credit card theft.
Per CBS News, the mascot, Jermell Jarreau Jones, 41, was arrested by Tallahassee police officers at the Chuck E. Cheese on the 2800 block of Sharer Road on Wednesday evening after he was confirmed as a suspect linked to the case.
An arrest report also stated that a Chuck E. Cheese employee informed officers that Jones was the individual wearing the mouse costume inside the restaurant before he was ultimately taken into custody.
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Photos and videos of Jones’ arrest were taken by some bewildered customers as they watched the handcuffed mascot being arrested and led out of the establishment. The patrons who witnessed the incident included children.
One of the images shows Jones wearing the complete costume and being escorted out of the restaurant in handcuffs, while another shows him and officers later standing outside, with the mascot head placed on top of a police car as his face is now revealed.
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After the photos and videos were circulated online, some people wondered why authorities arrested him while he was still wearing the costume. Tallahassee police later said Jones was the suspect seen in the circulated images and videos, adding that he has been charged with three felonies.
In the wake of his arrest, a woman, who accused Jones of using her child support debit card to fraudulently purchase things, gave the officers video evidence after the suspect was taken to the parking lot, CBS News reported. The woman stated that her child’s birthday was held at the restaurant on June 28, and that was the last time she used the card.
Investigators said that a review of transaction logs and surveillance footage from a store close to the restaurant determined that the card was used at several places. The woman’s debit card was also found in Jones’ pocket when he was arrested. Jones was additionally in possession of a receipt for something that was bought the day before.
Though Jones initially said he had never used a card that did not belong to him, he later informed officers that he used a card owned by his cousin at certain times. Besides the credit card and receipt, police also found a small amount of marijuana in Jones’ possession.
Police said Jones has been charged with credit card theft, criminal use of personal identification information, and fraudulent use of a credit card more than twice or for purchases exceeding $100.
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