🐭🚔 Chuck E. Cheese Employee Arrested in Costume for Credit Card Fraud in Tallahassee

Chuck E. Cheese is usually where kids go to celebrate birthdays, eat pizza, and play games — but earlier this summer in Tallahassee, the famous mouse became the star of a very different kind of show.

According to an arrest affidavit, a woman reported that her credit card had been stolen during her child’s birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese about a month prior. She later noticed fraudulent charges at stores she didn’t shop at. Surveillance footage from one of those stores revealed the suspect: a Chuck E. Cheese employee.

Police identified the man as 41-year-old Jermell Jones. On July 23, officers arrived at the restaurant and spotted Jones near the front entrance. When he noticed them, he quickly stepped away, but another employee revealed the shocking detail — Jones was the one inside the Chuck E. costume.

In a video from the scene, an officer can be heard saying, “Chuck E., come with me, Chuck E.” Jones initially resisted but eventually let police escort him outside to a patrol car. After being confronted, he denied the allegations, but officers found the stolen card in his pocket.

Jones was arrested and charged with theft of a credit card, criminal use of personal identification information, and fraudulent use of a credit card totaling over $100.

For kids expecting pizza and prizes, it turned into a birthday party they’ll never forget.