'Optimus Prime' arrested for driving stolen car
MANILA, Philippines — Autobots, roll out... sort of.
A man named Optimus Prime Barkley was arrested last week in Texas, United States for allegedly stealing a car.
According to police filings and court documents in the Texan capital, Austin, the 37-year-old Barkley was caught driving a vehicle which had previously been reported stolen.
Barkley has since been charged with the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and was held at Travis County jail with bond set at $8,000 (P468,500).
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Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots in the "Transformers" franchise based on the toys by Hasbro which has since spawned different sorts of media, including live-action films.
Famously voiced by Peter Cullen, Optimus Prime transforms into a red, blue, and silver semi-truck; there were no other details about the vehicle Barkley allegedly stole.
Later this year, the animated film "Transformers One" will hit global theaters and focus on the origins and early relationship of Optimus Prime — Chris Hemsworth taking over voice duties from Cullen — and Megatron, voiced by Brian Tyree Henry.
"Transformers One" also features the voices of Keegan-Michael Key as Bumblebee, Scarlett Johansson as Elita-1, Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion, Jon Hamm as Sentinel Prime, and Steve Buscemi as the unnamed antagonist.
