Who Ratted? Chuck E. Cheese Mascot Dragged Out of Florida Pizzeria in Cuffs — Accused of Stealing Customer’s Credit Card

Screenshot via Reddit.

Florida Man, make way for Florida Mouse.

A Chuck E. Cheese employee in Tallahassee, Florida dressed as the chain’s namesake rodent, Charles Entertainment “Chuck E.” Cheese, was arrested for multiple credit card felonies on Thursday.

And yes, there is video.

According to a report by Arianna Otero for the Tallahassee Democrat, the man was working his shift at the pizzeria arcade when Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) officers arrived with an arrest warrant for him. The cops put the mascot mouse in handcuffs and took him outside to their vehicle, where he was unceremoniously stripped of his costume head and put into the car.

The arrest was confirmed by TPD spokesperson Jerome Maples, who told the Democrat that the man had been arrested on three felonies. Leon County Clerk records list three felonies: theft of credit card, criminal use of personal identification information, and fraudulent use of a credit over two times within six months.

The Democrat reached out to the Chuck E. Cheese location for comment. “It’s unfortunate that it happened here,” said an employee who declined further comment, insisting that the wayward mouse’s arrest had no connection to the Chuck E. Cheese company.

TMZ identified the rogue rodent as Jermell J. Jones and reported that the arrest occurred “right in the middle of a children’s birthday party in progress.”

Jones was booked at the Leon County Jail and released Thursday morning on an $1,000 bond.

The Democrat later updated the article to report that the arrest stemmed from a July 3 call to the police about a stolen credit card. According to TPD spokesperson Alicia Hill, officers met the victim in the parking lot of the Chuck E. Cheese on the north side of town, Tallahassee’s only location for the chain.

The victim told police her family had a party at that Chuck E. Cheese location in June and she noticed roughly $100 of unauthorized charges on her credit card from places where she had not visited or did not shop, said Hill, adding that the fraudulent credit card charges were reportedly traced to an employee who was checking stamps at the front door when police first identified him.

When TPD officers returned with the arrest warrant, another employee told them their suspect was now wearing the Chuck E. Cheese costume, said Hill. Officers initially tried to escort him quietly from the premises but the suspect’s actions made them change tactics:

“They walked over with the intention of just walking outside to put handcuffs on him outside of public view,” Hill told the Democrat.

According to police reports, one officer while grabbing the employee even referred to him as the character himself, “Chuck E, come with me, Chuck E.”

“But when they approached him, he immediately tenses up and resists, and so 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,” Hill continued.

She said TPD doesn’t have a specific policy on when arrests are appropriate in public, and the agency relies on “officer discretion” based on the safety of others and ensuring a suspect can’t destroy evidence.

“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,” she said, adding that officers found the stolen credit card in his possession.

The news of the mischievous mouse sparked numerous social media posts, as Tallahassee locals shared photos and video of the arrest and other accounts soon picked up the story. A sampling of posts is below.

This article has been updated with additional information.

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