ABC News(PASCO COUNTY, Fla.) — Police in Florida proved that there’s no monkeying around when it comes to stolen cars.
Deputies from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office pulled over 23-year-old Florida resident Cody Hession on Friday after he drove a vehicle he allegedly stole into a ditch, authorities said.
The deputies were not expecting to have to also take Hession’s pet Capachin monkey into custody when they made the arrest, according to sheriff’s office.
Body camera footage from one of the deputies shed light into the close relationship Hession shares with his monkey, a male named Monk.
As the video begins, Hession who is already handcuffed in the back of a squad car, exits the vehicle as the monkey, who is wearing a diaper, clings to the front of his shirt.
Deputies then inform Hession that since he doesn’t have a permit to own the monkey, they’re going to have to take it to the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Coast.
During the encounter, Monk wraps himself around the back of Hession’s neck, resting his head on Hession’s shoulder.
Hession explains that he got Monk from a breeder in South Carolina, claiming that a permit is not required to own the monkey there. He has had Monk for more than three years and has recently moved back to Florida, he said.
The monkey even stays in place as Hession — still handcuffed — walks to the back of the deputy’s truck as the leash drags behind them.
The deputies then take the handcuff off of him so Hession can sign paperwork and bid farewell to his pet.
“Do you paperwork, say your goodbyes,” the deputy instructs Hession.
Hession then hugs the monkey and scratches its neck and back to comfort it.
Before the deputies place Monk in a carrier, Hession takes the diaper off and gives him a kiss.
One deputy places a call and tells the person on the other end that they are placing the monkey in the carrier, describing the animal as “pretty friendly,” and the video ends as the handcuffs are being placed back on Hession.
Hession could face additional charges for not having a permit to own the monkey, according to the sheriff’s office.
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