These twin beauzeaux must have gone so ape over a pair of monkeys that they're now accused of swiping them from a Nebraska home and bringing them to Florida.On Monday, a woman from Nebraska contacted Officer Friendly to report that two of her apes were AWOL, reports the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
The woman reportedly had an inkling that two 20-year-old twin brothers -- Michael and Jacob Ruehlman -- had something to do with the pilfered primates, a pair of Gibbons monkeys.
"Pilfered Primates". That sounds like a run-of-the-mill Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego episode title.
A two states law investigation traced the abducted apes, along with the twins, to Fort Myers, according to the Sheriff's Office.
On Thursday, about 2:47 a.m., deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that matched the description of the Ruehlmans' voiture, as the French say, the report said. Inside, deputies said, they found the two missing monkeys in a backseat cage.
The Gibbons were turned over to a sanctuary for safe-keeping until the investigation is completed, according tot [sic] the Sheriff's Office.
Jacob and Michael Ruehlman were read their rights and charged with dealing in stolen property, records show.
The twins are also facing charges from Florida wildlife officials for not having sufficient permits, as the Gibbons are not exactly common.
And Nebraska may also have some pending charges related to the monkey business.