Fla. man throws alligator into Wendy's

Joshua James, 23, arrested on multiple charges

JUPITER, Fla. – A Florida man has been arrested after throwing a live alligator into a Wendy's restaurant, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Joshua James, 23, of Jupiter, was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and unlawful possession and transportation of an alligator.

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The incident occurred at a Wendy's location in Loxahatchee on Oct. 11, but James was taken into custody Monday.

According to the incident report, after James was served a large drink at the drive-thru window, he reached inside his vehicle and threw the 3-and-a-half foot alligator into the restaurant.

Wildlife officials were able to tape the jaws of the alligator and remove it from the restaurant. Officials then returned the gator to a nearby canal.

During a police interview, James admitted to finding the alligator on the side of the road and throwing it through the window.

WPTV reports that James' parents said that their son's alligator toss was simply a prank.

"It was just a stupid prank that he did that's now turning into this," Linda James told WPTV.  "He's a prankster. He does stuff like this because he thinks it's funny."