A monkey in a pink tutu that slipped out of a Missouri home was captured just before a winter storm slammed the state.
“Bananas” is how the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office described the apprehension of the primate in a Facebook post.
The spider monkey was spotted Friday afternoon at the intersection of two highways near the town of Otto, just to the south of the St. Louis area. The monkey had been staying at a nearby home when it managed to open a door and get outside.
The sheriff's office said the small monkey was returned to its caretaker after “careful negotiations and some coaxing." Photos posted on the sheriff's department Facebook page show a deputy kneeling on the ground before the tutu-clad monkey approached and grabbed his hands.
The sheriff's office said its a great example of how officers “having to be prepared to handle whatever the job throws at them.”
The timing was fortuitous. A winter storm packing snow and ice hit the region on Saturday, closing roads and sending temperatures plunging.
CORRECTS LOCATION TO NEAR OTTO NOT CALEDONIA This Jan. 3, 2025 image provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office shows officers and an escaped spider monkey near Otto, Mo. (Jefferson County Sheriff's Office via AP)
CORRECTS LOCATION TO NEAR OTTO NOT CALEDONIA This Jan. 3, 2025 image provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office shows an escaped spider monkey near Otto, Mo. (Jefferson County Sheriff's Office via AP)
CORRECTS LOCATION TO NEAR OTTO NOT CALEDONIA This Jan. 3, 2025 image provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office shows an officer and an escaped spider monkey near Otto, Mo. (Jefferson County Sheriff's Office via AP)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked a shot by LeBron James and stole the ball from him on consecutive possessions in the final minute, and the Milwaukee Bucks blew a fourth-quarter lead before rallying for a 105-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points, and he hit two free throws to break a tie after Antetokounmpo blocked a driving layup attempt by James with 39 seconds left.
Antetokounmpo then knocked the ball out of James' hands from behind with 2 seconds left, and Porter hit two more free throws to seal Milwaukee's fifth win in seven games — its first over a team with a winning record since Dec. 11. Antetokounmpo finished with 21 points in his lowest-scoring effort since returning from his right calf strain.
Luka Doncic had 24 points and nine assists on 8-of-25 shooting for the Lakers. He had his lowest-scoring performance since Christmas, and he fouled out on Porter's 3-point attempt with 16.2 seconds to play.
James had 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but Antetokoumpo got the best of the top scorer in NBA history at crunch time. Los Angeles has lost six of 10.
Milwaukee surged to a double-digit lead in the first half even with Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction in his injury return. Doncic scored 12 points in the third quarter but also committed four fouls in the period, including his fifth of the game.
Los Angeles abruptly erased its deficit by going on a 17-4 run to open the fourth, with James putting the Lakers ahead when he stole the ball from Antetokounmpo for a layup with 6:02 left. Milwaukee missed nine of its first 12 shots in the period, but Porter's layup tied it with two minutes left.
Lakers starters Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura remain sidelined by injury, but Hachimura (calf) might return early next week from his six-game absence, coach JJ Redick said.
Bucks: At Denver on Sunday.
Lakers: At Sacramento on Monday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, tries to shoot as Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. go after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
