Man accused of hurling alligator through Wendy's drive-thru window

JUPITER, FL -- A mother of a Florida man who is accused of throwing an alligator at someone through a Wendy's drive-thru window says her son did it all as a "stupid prank."

Linda James told station WPTV, "He's a prankster. He does stuff like this because he thinks it's funny."

Josh James faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon as well as charges of unlawful possession and transportation of an alligator.

Ed and Linda James say their son is harmless.

They're still waiting to get the details from their son directly, WPTV reports. They say Josh knew one of the employees working at the restaurant.

Asked whether the people at Wendy's thought it was a prank, Linda James replied, "Well, I mean, how could you not think something like that was a prank?"

Wendy's won't give any comment on the three-and-a-half foot alligator hurled through the drive-thru window.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife says they tracked Josh James down with a credit card receipt from a soda he purchased prior to the October incident. They tracked him down in December.

Linda James said, "They said, 'Will he cooperate?' I said, 'Absolutely! He's not a bad kid, he's a stupid kid. He did a stupid prank.' He had no problem with turning himself in."

The alligator was released to a nearby canal.