Wendy's Drive-Thru Gator Toss Lands Florida Man In Jail

ROYAL PALM BEACH, FL — A 23-year-old Jupiter man is in hot water after those on the receiving end of what his family says was intended as a practical joke found no humor in his actions.

Joshua James is accused of going through the drive-through at a Royal Palm Beach Wendy’s, placing an order and then tossing a 3 1/2–foot alligator through the window. The gator toss allegedly occurred after the server gave James his drink, several media outlets have reported.

The incident happened back in October, but James wasn’t brought into custody until Monday, Feb. 8. It seems U.S. Marshals had to track him down. James now faces aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, illegal possession of an alligator and petty theft charges, jail records indicate. He was being held without bond in the Palm Beach County Jail Tuesday morning.

See Also:

• Dramatic Gator Battle Caught On Video
• 11-Foot Gator Eats Burglar
• Photos: Monster Gators Wrestle On Golf Course
• Monster Gator Invades Florida Golf Course
• 765-Pound Monster Gator Bagged in Florida

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has said the little gator was captured from inside the eatery and released into a nearby canal. The creature was allegedly picked up by James from the side of a nearby road.

James’ parents have told media their son is a “prankster” and an avid outdoorsmen. “He’s a stupid kid,” James’ mother, Linda, told WPTV.

While an alligator toss into a fast-food window is unusual even in Florida where the critters are right at home, gator attacks aren’t all that unheard of. A Clearwater man recently caught two alligators locked in battle on a video and late last year an 11-footer reportedly ate a man accused of burglary.

Despite the state’s bustling alligator population, fatal attacks are not common in Florida. Between 1948 and 2013, there were 22 fatalities recorded, according to FWC records. During that period, a total of 122 minor bites and 235 major bites were also logged. The last fatal alligator attack on record prior to this year occurred in 2007.

Alligator-related human fatalities might not be common, but encounters with the creatures are. Those encounters add up to so many over the course of any given year that the state has set up its own hotline to accept nuisance alligator calls. That number is 1-866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).

In 2013 alone, the state fielded 15,036 nuisance alligator calls, which resulted in the removal of 6,605 creatures.

Booking photo courtesy of the Palm Beach County Jail