Man Threw Alligator Into Wendy's Drive-Through

A Florida man has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he threw a live alligator through the drive-through window of a Wendy's restaurant.

Joshua James, 23, pulled up to place an order at the restaurant in Loxahatchee and after the server handed him a drink and turned around, he threw the three-and-half foot reptile through the serving window, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) officials said.

His mother told WPTV that her son was not violent and claimed the incident was part of a joke aimed at a friend who worked in the restaurant.

She told the TV station: "He's a prankster. He does stuff like this because he thinks it's funny."

James was arrested this week by US Marshals over the incident, which took place in October last year.

He is also accused of unlawful possession and transportation of an alligator.

The FFWCC told WPTV that James admitted capturing the reptile on Southern Boulevard and bringing it to the fast food restaurant.

The alligator was later released into a nearby canal.