A South Florida man who allegedly threw a three-foot gator through window of a Wendy's drive-thru in October was arrested this week by U.S. Marshals.
"He’s a prankster. He does stuff like this because he thinks it’s funny," the mother of Joshua James, 23, of Jupiter,
told WPTV.
James, whose parents said he idolizes the late Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin, is now charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, petit theft, and unlawful possession of an alligator, according to Palm Beach County Jail records,
NBC News reported.
In Florida, such assault offenders could be punished with up to five years in prison.
An incident report from Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that James admitted to picking up the alligator on the side of Southern Boulevard and put it in his truck.
After taking a drink he ordered from the drive-thru window, James allegedly threw the gator into the fast-food restaurant in Loxahatchee in order to surprise a friend that worked there. The restaurant was subsequently forced to call animal handlers, who wrangled the animal and released it into a nearby canal.
In the end, no one in the restaurant nor the alligator was hurt.
The FWC report included a picture of the alligator inside the restaurant.
James made a court appearance on Tuesday, where the judge ordered him to stay out of all Wendy's restaurants, to avoid contact with all animals besides his mother's dog, and to undergo a mental health evaluation.
"If he fails a random drug and alcohol test his bond will be rescinded," WPTV reported.
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