Florida man arrested for throwing alligator through drive-thru window

This Oct. 12, 2015 photo provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows an alligator in the kitchen of a Wendy's Restaurant in Loxahatchee, Fla. (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission via AP)

A Florida man was arrested Monday and charged with assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill after allegedly throwing an alligator through a fast-food chain’s drive-thru window in October.

Joshua James, 24, threw a 3.5 foot alligator through a Palm Beach County Wendy’s drive-thru window nearly four months ago, according to Florida Fish Wildlife and Conservation officials. He was also charged with illegally possessing an alligator and petty theft.

A report that James drove his pickup truck to the window at about 1:20 a.m. Oct. 11 was written by wildlife officer Nicholas Guerin. When an employee handed James his drink, he tossed an alligator through the window and sped off.

his undated photo provided by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016 shows Joshua James. (Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office via AP)

No one was hurt and Guerin captured the alligator and released it into the wild. James was finally tracked down through video surveillance and a purchase at a neighboring convenience store.

Guerin wrote James admitted to throwing the alligator in a December interview. He said James told him he had found the alligator on the side of the road and put it in his truck.

The Palm Beach Post noted that James faces a third-degree felony charge for possessing the reptile. If he is convicted of that particular charge, he could face up to five years in prison.

In James’ court appearance Tuesday, he was ordered to stay clear of all Wendy’s restaurants, to avoid possessing animals aside from his mother’s dog, to undergo a mental health test and to refrain from possessing any weapons, according to WPTV. He was later released on $6,000 bond.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.