After a driver was stopped for speeding, California highway patrol officers found an unusual passenger in the vehicle: a baby spider monkey dressed in a pink onesie.
On December 30, officers from the California Highway Patrol in Madera conducted a routine traffic stop on a Rolls Royce Ghost traveling north on State Route 99. They arrested the driver for driving under the influence and possession of cannabis with intent to sell. During their search, they discovered the tiny spider monkey, thought to be about a month old.
California law prohibits the ownership of primates as pets, which added to the unusual nature of the stop. Images from the scene revealed the monkey nestled in the car, alongside several phones and cannabis products.
Sergio Moreno, a spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol in Madera, remarked on the incident, noting, “The driver had a baby monkey attached to him. That’s something you don’t see every day.”
The driver, identified as 27-year-old Ali Mused Adel Mohamed, has been booked in the Madera County Jail, facing multiple charges that include possessing an exotic animal.
After the arrest, an officer volunteered to care for the monkey overnight before bringing it to Madera County’s Animal Services the following morning. Later reports indicated that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife transferred the monkey to the Oakland Zoo for proper care.
