Caught on Camera: Man Tosses Alligator Through Drive-Thru Window

CCTV footage shows a man throwing a small alligator into a drive-thru window at a Florida Wendy’s restaurant, causing an employee to hoist herself out of a window to escape.

As seen in footage of the incident that took place October 2015, a man pays for a drink he ordered and then, as the Wendy's employee turns her back to get change, he throws the live three-and-a-half foot alligator into the eatery and promptly drives away.

The employee's reaction is somewhat mixed: while she initially smiles (presumably in shock) at the sight of the reptile, she eventually climbs up on the ledge of the drive-thru window and then jumps out the opening.

The driver was revealed to be one Joshua James, a Jupiter resident. He is facing a felony aggravated assault charge, which effectively means assault with a deadly weapon.

After posting $6,000 bond, James was ordered by a judge to stay away from Wendy's restaurants and is barred from contact with "any animals except the current family dog."

James told investigators that he found the alligator on a roadway. The animal was subsequently released into a nearby canal.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the state averages about five unprovoked alligator bites per year. Since 1948, those "unprovoked bites" have resulted in 22 deaths in Florida.