Times Square Cookie Monster Arrested For Groping Tourist's Boobs

Gothamist – A 16-year-old tourist was groped in Times Square on Sunday as she visited Times Square with a tour group. The alleged perpetrator is a New Jersey man who was working in Times Square dressed as the beloved sugar-addicted character Cookie Monster from Sesame Street andMonsterpiece Theater. An NYPD spokesperson says the unidentified teen was walking with her tour group outside Toys ‘R’ Us around 5:30 p.m. when 48-year-old Ranulfo Perez, dressed as Cookie Monster, “pulled the victim into a hug and forcibly touched her breasts.” Perez was arrested at the scene, and charged with forcible touching in a manner injurious to a child less than 17, as well as second degree harassment. Perez’s arrest is the latest incident involving the Times Square “costumed characters.” A mentally ill man who dresses as Elmo has been arrested multiple times for disorderly conduct after he accosted passersby with anti-Semitic remarks. Last year a man dressed as Spidermanallegedly struck a police officer, and another man dressed as Woody from Toy Story was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman by grabbing her buttock. Over 18 costumed characters were arrested in 2014. And in 2013, a different man dressed as Cookie Monster was arrested for allegedly shoving a toddler.

I know you guys wont believe this, but a Time Square Character is in trouble with the law again. This is not a repeat from the first 400 times one of them has sexually assaulted someone. The last Cookie Monster incident was him pushing over a toddler. Now we’ve taken another step and we’re groping teenage girls. Its almost like the Cookie Monster costume is a uniform. And when you put on that uniform, you have a duty to uphold. A standard of behavior that must be met. Like I feel as though if you wore the Cookie Monster costume and you just took pictures and were polite to tourists, Times Square Elmo would kick you off the team. Tell you you’re a disgrace to the uniform and make you take off the Cookie Monster costume on the spot. Like in Seinfeld when Newman rips the US Postal Service patch off Jerry. When you put on that Cookie Monster head you accept the responsibility that you need to sexually assault passersby. Anything less than that, and you’re doing a disservice to all the violent offenders that work the streets of Times Square. Its just who they are and what they day.

PS – Times Square Characters are a GREAT source of pre-crime culprits. The NYPD should just arrest anyone and everyone who panhandles dressed in costume because at some point they WILL commit a crime.