In a scene straight out of a cartoon gone wrong, a Chuck E. Cheese employee in Tallahassee, Florida, was arrested while still wearing the pizza brand’s giant mouse mascot costume, ABC News reports.
It was a customer who “ratted him out,” as ABC News puts it.
The incident serves as a reminder for restaurant owners to thoroughly vet all employees, especially those working in family-focused businesses.
Related: Domino’s ‘Going on Offense…Because We Think We Can Grow’
Police say 41-year-old Jermel Jarreau Jones was taken into custody on Wednesday, July 23, after a customer tracked the alleged theft of her debit card back to a child’s party held on June 28 at the restaurant.
“Chuck E., come with me, Chuck E.,” the officer told Jones after grabbing the suspect’s arm, according to the police report.
Jones, who was apparently performing as Chuck E. Cheese at the time, allegedly put up some mild resistance before officers escorted him out in full costume.
After placing Jones in a marked patrol vehicle, they removed his oversized mouse head.
Police say they found the allegedly stolen debit card in Jones’ pants pocket. Jones now faces felony charges of larceny, identity theft and using the stolen card to buy items at a smoke shop, a meat market and a Whataburger.
In his defense, Jones told authorities that he’d just found the debit card and was getting ready to turn it in to the restaurant’s lost-and-found department, ABC News reports.
The victim of the alleged theft reportedly did her own detective work, obtaining security footage from one of the stores where her card was used and recognizing Jones as an employee of the Chuck E. Cheese store.
After she went to the police, officers set a mouse trap of sorts: They headed to the restaurant and found Jones working at the entrance. He was apparently in street clothes at the time, and his accuser was waiting outside. The cops checked with the woman to confirm Jones was the suspect. By the time they went back inside the restaurant, Jones, who reportedly had spotted the police presence, had donned his Chuck E. Cheese costume, the police report says.
Another employee, when questioned, told the officers that the costumed character was the man they were looking for, and the arrest was made.
In a statement to ABC News, a Chuck E. Cheese spokesperson said, “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 police have not reached out to us about this; please contact the local Tallahassee police department for any questions.”
Although this was an isolated incident and likely would have gone unreported by the national media if not for its more bizarre aspects—a man dressed as a giant mouse that kids love—it’s still a cautionary tale for restaurateurs. Background checks and strong internal controls help protect customers and uphold a safe, trustworthy environment, which is critical when serving children and their families.
