As arrests go, this one was bananas.
When deputies in Pasco County, Florida, arrested Cody Blake Hession on Friday after he allegedly drove a stolen car into a ditch, they were shocked to discover an accomplice: A capuchin monkey clinging to his pink polo shirt.
Hession, 23, of Holly Hill, was arrested while fleeing the scene, and that’s when officers noticed his primate companion, who was named ― appropriately enough ― Monk, according to WTVD TV.
Hession told officers that Monk was 3 years old and he had owned him since the monkey was 3 days old, according to reports.
He also said the animal came from a breeder in South Carolina and claimed there was no licensing or permitting required in that state.
However, Hession didn’t have an exotic animal permit for the monkey, so the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission took the animal into custody and dropped Monk off at a nearby primate sanctuary, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Hession has been charged with auto theft in a different jurisdicition, a felony. He remains behind bars on $5,000 bond.
He could face additional charges for not having the exotic animal permit, according to WFTS TV.