Chuck E Cheese Employee Arrested In Full Costume Goes Viral

A Chuck E. Cheese employee was arrested while in the full costume of the restaurant's mascot in Tallahassee.

Photos and videos went viral on social media Thursday (July 24) after the employee, identified as Jermell Jones, was arrested and charged with theft of credit card, criminal use of personal identification information and fraudulent use of a credit card over two times within six months, according to the Leon County Clerk of Courts website via the Tallahassee Democrat. The Tallahassee Police Department confirmed the legitimacy of the photos showing Jones handcuffed in full costume, with spokesperson Alicia Hill confirming that officers were called to the parking lot of the Chuck E. Cheese on July 3 after a woman reported a stolen credit card.

The victim told officers that she had a party at the Chuck E. Cheese in June and noticed about $100 of fraudulent charges made to places she hand't shopped at, tracing the activity back to an employee at the restaurant. Jones was initially identified as the suspect while checking stamps out of costume at the front door and had dressed as Chuck E. Cheese when officers returned to arrest him.

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

One officer reportedly said, "Chuck E, come with me, Chuck E," while attempting to detain the costumed man.

“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 said, adding that the department didn't have a policy on when arrests are appropriate in public.

“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 added.

Jones was found to have the stolen credit card in his possession during the arrest. Chuck E. Cheese issued a statement to the Tallahassee Democrat confirming its knowledge of the situation.

"It's unfortunate that it happened here," an employee said, emphasizing the arrest didn't have anything to do with CEC Entertainment.