Plea Deal For Man Who Dove Into Aquarium

JANUARY 3--The Alabama man who stripped off his clothes and cannonballed naked into a Bass Pro Shops aquarium pleaded guilty to several criminal counts and has been accepted into a pretrial diversion program that could result in the dismissal of charges, according to court records.

George Owens, 43, was arrested in January after he caused a disturbance and then fought with police at the sporting goods outlet in Leeds, a Birmingham suburb.

After intentionally crashing his Chevy pickup truck--with his wife and six-year-old son inside--into a light pole outside the retailer, Owens “then stripped naked, ran into the store and jumped in the aquarium. Offender began to yell obscene language at customers and police,” investigators reported.

Owens eventually tumbled out of the aquarium and, while being handcuffed, “began to fight with officers,” one of whom Owens kicked in the testicles. While “several patrons were observed leaving the store with haste,” as cops noted, other Bass customers stayed to record the commotion, video of which quickly went viral.

Police estimated that Owens caused $3500 in damages to the light pole, and $5000 in damages to a police transport vehicle.

Owens’s wife told police she believed he was having a “mental episode.” Owens, who “claimed he had taken a lot of drugs that he found in his garage,” initially declined to explain why he jumped into the aquarium. “If I tell you guys, you will put me in the looney house,” he said.

Pictured above, Owens later cited “religious reasons” for the naked frolic.

Owens subsequently pleaded guilty to several class A misdemeanors, including public lewdness, resisting arrest, and criminal mischief.

Owens’s case is being handled in Veterans Treatment Court, which was established to “address the needs of returning service members charged with crimes arising from substance abuse and mental health issues.” A judge has ordered Owens--whose military history is not detailed in court records--to enroll in drug treatment and remain drug and alcohol free. He is also prohibited from possessing firearms.

If Owens successfully “graduates” from Veterans Court, charges against him may be dismissed through a pretrial diversion program. Owens is scheduled for a January 7 progress review in District Court. (4 pages)