Reasons It’s Illegal To Throw An Alligator Through Fast Food Windows

A south Florida man is apologizing after throwing a live alligator into a Wendy’s drive-thru window.

Officials say the incident occurred at a Palm Beach County Wendy’s.

Joshua James, a native of Jupiter, Florida, was arrested on Monday due to a freakish crime he committed late previous year.

The American alligator is listed as “a species of special concern” in Florida, according to the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which notes that “state law prohibits killing, harassing or possessing alligators”. Authorities were immediately called in and one of the responding officers secured the alligator and used tape to close its jaw for safety reasons.

The driver, wearing a backward baseball hat, arrived at the drive-through window to receive a large drink just before 1:30 a.m. on October 11, according to the report’s summary of surveillance footage. He also will have to undergo a mental health evaluation.

But, instead of paying for his order, James took out a three-and-half-foot-long alligator from his vehicle and tossed it inside the window of the restaurant while the female attendant was not looking.

He was later arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, without intent to kill – a third-degree felony – and misdemeanor unlawful possession and transportation of an alligator. Jail records show he was released on $6,000 bail Tuesday.

“We were just like fishing, hanging out and we just stumbled upon an alligator”, James said.

James tells CNN affiliate WPTV he was just trying to pull a prank on a buddy who was working at the restaurant. “He’s a prankster. He does stuff like this because he thinks it’s amusing”.