Chuck E. Cheese Mascot Arrested In Florida For Credit Card Fraud—And Here Come The Jokes

Not everyone is a fan of mascot characters.

While some people can't wait to run up to a mascot, give them a hug, pose for a picture, and maybe nab an autograph, some are utterly terrified by the sight of them.

Chain restaurant icon Chuck E. Cheese is a particularly polarizing member of that club.

Well, those children who had their doubts about the famed rodent may have been on to something, as he was recently seen being escorted from a Tallahassee branch of his restaurant by policemen—in handcuffs.

Alicia Hill, a spokesperson for the Tallahassee police, told the Tallahassee Democrat that the police were called to the parking lot of a Tallahassee Chuck E. Cheese restaurant after receiving a call reporting a stolen credit card.

The victim of the theft informed the police that they had recently attended a party at the branch of the popular restaurant chain, known for its pizza, animatronics, and arcade games.

Following the party, the victim began to notice charges totaling roughly $100 that she did not make.

She was able to trace the charges back to Jermell Jones, a part-time employee at the restaurant.

While the police initially identified Jones while he was taking stamps at the front door of the restaurant, when they returned to make the arrest, he was in costume as the restaurant's namesake.

While Hill claimed that the police initially intended to escort the Jones outside and handcuff him when he was out of public view, they were forced to cuff him inside after he resisted arrest:

She explained:

"...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."

A picture of the famed rodent being escorted from his namesake restaurant in handcuffs, as well as the shocked expression of young customers witnessing the arrest, fairly swiftly began to make the rounds on X (formerly Twitter):

Making the situation even more traumatizing for young patrons, police reports disclose that police on the scene even addressed Jones as the iconic character, reportedly saying "Chuck E, come with me, Chuck E."

A video capturing Jones outside of the restaurant, finally revealing his face after the police removed his mask and rested it on top of their police car, also quickly began to gain traction on X.

According to Hill, the Tallahassee Police Department does not have a firm policy regarding whether or not an arrest is appropriate in public, but instead relies on "officer discretion" based on the safety of bystanders as well as the officers on the scene, while also preventing the possibility of the suspect destroying 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"

Hill also disclosed that the arresting officers found the reported stolen credit card in Jones's possession.

As one might expect, X users had a field day with the notion of Chuck E. Cheese being arrested, with some hearts breaking for the children who had to witness it, others wondering if the police truly couldn't wait until Jones was out of costume, and the rest simply beside themselves with laughter:

A representative of CEC Entertainment, Chuck E. Cheese's parent company, eventually released a statement regarding the incident:

"We are aware of an incident involving a part-time employee arrested at our Tallahassee location on Wednesday, July 23."

"We have taken the appropriate action concerning the subject employee."

The same representative also confirmed that the Tallahassee Police Department has not reached out to them yet regarding the arrest.

Jones was taken into custody and booked at the Leon County Jail, but was shortly thereafter released on bond.