Tallahassee police released bodycam footage showing a man in a Chuck E. Cheese costume being arrested mid-shift on credit card fraud charges.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Newly released police body camera footage captures the surreal moment officers arrested a man wearing a full Chuck E. Cheese mascot costume — complete with oversized gloves and red cartoon shoes — inside a busy Florida restaurant.
The video, recorded July 23 and released by the Tallahassee Police Department, shows officers walking up to the mascot as he posed for photos with customers. Children can be heard in the background as police confront the costumed suspect, later identified as 41-year-old Jermel Jones, and place him in handcuffs.
“Don’t resist,” an officer says. “Let your hands go.”
The footage shows police removing the character’s giant mouse head and setting it on top of a patrol car before leading Jones away. He was still wearing the Chuck E. gloves when he was cuffed.
Police say Jones, an employee at the Sharer Road Chuck E. Cheese location, was wanted on multiple felony charges, including credit card theft and fraudulent use of personal identification. Investigators say a customer traced unauthorized charges to Jones after attending a birthday party in June and provided video evidence and receipts to police.
Officers recovered the stolen card and a matching receipt from Jones’ pocket during the arrest.
The viral video sparked questions online, with some users criticizing the optics of the arrest happening in front of children. Others noted the arrest was handled professionally, despite the unusual visual of an iconic children's character being led away in handcuffs.
The arrest and charges stem from an affidavit filed by the Tallahassee Police Department. Jones remains in custody and is facing prosecution.
A military judge sentenced Pvt. Deron Gordon to over six years in prison for sexually assaulting a college student.
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — A Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier who sexually assaulted a college student in the barracks in 2024 was sentenced to more than six years in prison Friday.
A military judge sentenced Pvt. Deron Gordon, 20, to six years and three months in prison after he pleaded guilty to one specification each of sexual assault, abusive sexual contact and as a principal to indecent recording.
Gordon was previously charged with additional crimes, but those were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Gordon is one of four soldiers who were charged in in connection to the sexual assault of a college student, who is now a commissioned Army officer, in October 2024.
When Gordon pleaded guilty, he said that he and another soldier followed the college student into a bedroom after she had been drinking with them. He said she was unstable walking into the room and when they went inside she was on the bed and not responsive.
Gordon said he and the other soldier each proceeded to have sex with her and they filmed each other sexually assaulting her on Snapchat.
As part of his sentencing, Gordon will be reduced in rank to E-1 and dishonorably discharged from the Army.
Gordon will serve the remainder of his sentencing at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Once he is released, Gordon must register as a sex offender.
The three other soldiers who were charged in the incident are at different points in the legal process, and their cases are being treated separately.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Additional resources are available on the Washington State Department of Health's website.
KING 5’s Conner Board contributed to this report.
