Photo: Austin Police Department
A man who shares the name 'Optimus Prime' with the famous 'Autobot' leader in the science fiction franchise Transformers was arrested while driving a stolen vehicle.
Optimus Prime Blakely, 37, was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, according to an Austin Police Department arrest affidavit obtained by FOX 7. Blakely was stopped by officers on June 4 after being spotted on Congress Avenue near Radam Lane while driving a vehicle reported to be stolen.
Officers took Blakely to police headquarters for processing before he was transported to the Travis County Jail, where he was reported to be held on an $8,000 bond.
The 'Optimus Prime' character originally debuted in the 1980s Transformers cartoon, which was later turned into a blockbuster film series featuring Shia LeBeouf, Megan Fox, Mark Wahlberg and the late Bernie Mac. The Transformers franchise depicts alien robots that go into hiding as vehicles, everyday items and insects while on Earth.
The 'Optimus Prime' robot character is the supreme commander of the protagonist Autobots in their fight against the villainous Decepticons and transforms into a red and blue semi-truck while in disguise. The Transformer characters were also immortalized as popular toy action figures by Hasbro for an American market after representatives attended the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show.