Posted on 07/28/2025 3:20:58 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Kids came for pizza, stayed for a cartoon rodent in handcuffs.
The worker allegedly stole a customer's credit card during a June birthday celebration and racked up charges across town. He's now facing three felony charges—and no, dressing like a mouse did not help him sneak away. In news that feels extremely 2025, a Chuck E. Cheese employee was arrested in full mouse costume for allegedly committing credit card fraud—because apparently, some days you wake up thinking you'll spend the afternoon making kids smile, and end it in handcuffs with a giant foam head on the squad car.
Jermel Jones, 41, was taken into custody at a Tallahassee Chuck E. Cheese on July 23, after a customer reported her debit card had been stolen during her daughter's birthday party a month prior. According to police reports, over $100 in charges popped up at places she hadn't visited—including a smoke shop, Whataburger, and a Time Saver. After some personal sleuthing (a.k.a. checking store footage), she recognized the man making purchases as—you guessed it—an employee from the party. Chuck E. got caught chasing the cheese.
When Tallahassee police showed up to the restaurant to arrest Jones, they were told he was now working as Chuck E. Cheese himself. And instead of waiting for him to de-mouse, officers decided to go for it and approached the costumed suspect mid-shift.
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"As I approached Jones, I grabbed his right arm while giving the verbal instruction, 'Chuck E, come with me, Chuck E,'" the officer wrote in the report. A real quote. From a real police document. Kids watched. Dreams were shattered.
Jones reportedly resisted arrest at first, tensing his arms and pulling away. Once detained, he told police he didn’t know anything about the card—but officers recovered both a matching receipt and the stolen card on his person.
He now faces three felony charges: theft of a credit card, fraudulent use of said card, and criminal use of personal identification. He was booked at Leon County Jail and has since been released on bond.
Chuck E. Cheese's parent company issued a statement saying the situation has been "addressed internally," while the local police department defended the public arrest, citing safety and officer discretion.
So no, the mouse isn’t above the law. And to all future felonious furries: Maybe don’t commit fraud in a five-foot rodent suit during a child's birthday party.
It’s like those Chinese company names on Amazon. Some believe they make the names up by punching the keyboard.
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