Florida officers received a shock when they arrested a man who drove a stolen car into a ditch, and they found a monkey clinging onto his chest.
The bizarre scene unfolded on Friday in Pasco County, Florida as deputies detained Cody Blake Hession.
As Hession exited his car, his pet Capuchin monkey wearing a diaper emerged holding onto its owner’s shirt.
Cody Blake Hession was arrested Friday after he drove a stolen car into a ditch, with his pet Capuchin monkey clinging onto his shirt
Hession had stolen a vehicle from St. Petersburg and drove it to Holiday in Florida, where he was arrested by local police
Video of his arrest shows his doting pet monkey named Monk clinging onto his shoulders and chest as officers ask if he has proper licensing to own the furry creature
Alarm was first raised when a woman called 911 to report that her car was stolen from her driveway in St. Petersburg, according to WFLA.
She claimed that Hession had found her keys tucked under the floorboard of the car and drove off.
He was arrested 35 miles away in Holiday.
‘What they [deputies] didn’t expect was the Capuchin monkey he had with him,’ the Paso Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook Friday.
Pasco County deputy Zachary Dendler was one of the officers on the scene and was stunned to see the furry creature.
‘First thing is how is this monkey going to react to me? The other one was I kind of want to pet the monkey and also I really hope it doesn’t bite me,’ he said to ABC.
In the video of his arrest deputies ask if Hession has a permit for the four-year-old pet monkey, named Monk, and he confessed he didn’t, which could have led to additional charges.
Hession lacked proper licensing to own the creature in Florida, leading cops to take it away
Saying goodbye: Officers allowed Hession to say farewell to his pet who was taken to Suncoast Primate Sanctuary
He seemed emotional as he held his pet of three years, who hugged him back and kissed him on the face
Monk seemed happy and friendly and willingly went into a cage when he was separated from Hession, pictured playing with police paperwork
He said he applied for a license for the creature that he’s owned for three years since he first got it from a breeder South Carolina.
Due to his lack of proper licensing, deputies took the animal to Suncoast Primate Sanctuary, telling him it would be temporary until he got his permit in order.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said he was denied a permit in January 2018, adding that Hession lied about hours of experience needed to obtain a permit.
They have not said if Hession will be able to get Monk back.
The officers allowed Hession to bid his pet farewell where he emotionally hugged his monkey as the animal kissed him on the face and clung onto him affectionately.
Hession was then arrested and booked into the Pasco County Jail.