WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A Florida man who threw an alligator through a drive-thru window was sentenced to a year of probation after throwing himself at the mercy of the court.

Twenty-four-year-old Joshua James told the judge Tuesday that he's sorry he threw the alligator through the window at a Wendy's last October. He said he found the nearly four-foot gator by the side of the road and meant to play a prank on a friend at the restaurant.

James was initially charged with felonies including assault with a deadly weapon. But no one was hurt by the gator, which was captured and returned to the wild.

The Palm Beach Post reports that James entered an open plea on two misdemeanors.