Police arrest Chuck E Cheese mascot for credit card fraud as kids look on

Daily Mail​

3 hours ago

A man wearing a Chuck E Cheese mascot was taken away by police officers in cuffs at one of the restaurant chain's locations in Florida.
Jermell Jones, a part-time employee at the restaurant, was entertaining when officers from the Tallahassee Police Department arrived and took him into custody still in his mouse costume.
He was charged with three felony offenses tied to the theft and fraudulent use of a customer's credit card. The arrest was captured on video and widely shared on social media.
TPD said Jones resisted when approached by officers forcing them to place him in cuffs.
Critics have slammed the public nature of the arrest, questioning why police didn't wait until the man was out of costume to avoid traumatizing any kids.
One person wrote on Facebook: 'Ok, 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?'
'This wasn't well thought out at all. They should not have arrested the mascot in front of those children. Those children's lives have been changed forever because of this. They probably won't trust characters at Disney or anywhere else they go after this,' another added.
'Those poor kids are going to have P.T.S.CHEESE after seeing this,' a third joked.
According to TPD spokesperson Alicia Hill, officers were called to the Chuck E Cheese after a woman reported her credit card had been stolen during a birthday party that was held there in June.
The victim said she later discovered roughly $100 in fraudulent charges from unfamiliar retailers.
Using transaction records and surveillance, police were able to trace the activity back to an employee working at the restaurant - someone who was responsible for checking hand stamps at the door.
But when officers arrived to make the arrest, they were told by another staffer that the suspect was now dressed in the full Chuck E Cheese mascot.
'When they approached him, he immediately tenses up and resists, and so at this point they make the decision to put him in handcuffs,' Hill said. 'Keeping in mind the safety of not only the customers, but the suspect, as well as the officers themselves.'
At least one officer referred to the man by his character's name.
'Chuck E, come with me, Chuck E,' one officer said while grabbing the employee in costume.
Hill said that while there's no official TPD policy regarding arrests made in costume or in front of children, the department relies on officer discretion to prioritize public safety and the preservation of evidence.
Police say they recovered the stolen credit card in Jones's possession during the arrest. He was booked at Leon County Jail and charged with three felonies.
'When you have a victim outside, it doesn't matter what the dollar amount is,' Hill said. 'She was the victim of a fraud.'
Jones has since been released on $1,000 bond.
Reached for comment, a Chuck E Cheese employee at the Tallahassee location told reporters: 'It's unfortunate that it happened here,' adding that the arrest 'didn't have anything to do with the company.'
In a statement to the Tallahassee Democrat, a representative for CEC Entertainment, the parent company of Chuck E Cheese confirmed: '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.'