A Brief History of Children's Characters Getting Arrested

Image via Complex Original

When: February 2004
Where: Orlando, FL

A man dressed as Tigger was arrested at Disney World for molesting a 13-year-old girl and her mother while posing for a photo with them. 36-year-old Michael Chartrand was charged with molesting a minor and committing battery against her mother. There's no way he was bouncing out of that situation.

When: October 2005
Where: Hollywood

Anti-Semitic Elmo wasn't the first Elmo to get locked up. In 2005, a man in an Elmo costume was arrested on Hollywood Boulevard for allegedly harassing tourists for tips. He wasn't alone either; people impersonating Mr. Incredible and the killer from Scream were arrested along with him. Prior to being charged for "aggressive begging," police paraded the crew of misfits along the Hollywood walk of Fame for tourists (and other impersonators) to see, turning it into a temporary Walk of Shame. 

When: February 2007
Where: Hollywood

Star Wars fans recognize Chewbacca as fiercely loyal, a kind of intergalactic man's best friend. In February of 2007, the LAPD recognized a man wearing a Chewbacca suit as a threat after he headbutted a tour guide on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The LAPD said they were going to crack down on aggressive panhandling, so once Chewy decided he wanted to try and crack skulls, they cracked his.

When: April 2007
Where: Melbourne, FL

Dr. Raymond Adamcik, 54, got acquainted with the law when he was arrested at a bar for allegedly groping women while dressed as Captain America. Important information: he did so with a burrito shoved down his tights. Adamcik was part of a bar crawl where everyone was dressed as cartoon characters and though several people were dressed as Captain America, he was the only one who couldn't keep his hands to himself. All of the Captain Americas were asked to step outside for identification, and one of the women positively identified Adamcik,

As police were booking him, Adamcik asked to use the bathroom. He used the time to try and flush the weed that was hidden in his tights, which further complicated his situation. He was charged with battery, disorderly conduct, and marijuana possession, but his most damning offense was disgracing Captain America.

When: August 2008
Where: Tokyo

A man was arrested for attacking and robbing two people who were apparently staring at his Winnie the Pooh costume. The 20-year-old was joined by friends dressed as a mouse and a panther when he came across his victims. After asking them "What are you staring at?" he beat the shit out of them. Apparently, he and his friends were wearing the costumes because they were out of clean clothes. 

Never stare at a man dressed as a bear, and don't you dare laugh at him and his friends.

When: August 2008
Where: Disneyland

There was a revolution at the Happiest Place on Earth during the summer of 2008, leading to the arrest of 32 protesters, all dressed as Disney characters. Workers at three Disney-owned hotels staged a protest over pay and benefits. The arrests followed an hour-long march from from one of the three hotels to the theme park.

Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Snow White, Peter Pan, and Tinkerbell were all taken into custody. Happiness ends when the contract does.

When: November 2009
Where: Hollywood

Peter Parker never knew this struggle. A man clad in a Spider-Man costume was arrested for assaulting another man on Hollywood Boulevard. Police don't know what started the incident, and the victim refused to press charges, but 39-year-old Christopher Loomis still found himself in handcuffs due to outstanding warrants. Apparently, his spider sense didn't tell him to get out of the area before the police arrived. 

When: March 2010
Where: New York, NY

27-year-old vagrant Dorothy Macswoon was arrested for sexually harassing several NYU students over a two year period, all while dressed as a Star Wars Stormtrooper. Following McSwoon's arrest, authorities found a blog of slightly inappropriate photos of her in the act—and in costume. A perv with a sense of humor is still a perv.

When: May 2011
Where: Burbank, CA

Two activists from the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) were arrested outside of Disney's headquarters while dressed as Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The pair were in the midst of a protest and banner-hanging; they unveiled a 35-foot masterpiece that read “Disney: Destroying Indonesia’s Rainforests" and blocked the company's entrance.

RAN asserts that Disney prints children's books with paper that is "driving the destruction of Indonesia’s rainforests." Way to put it all on the line for the cause, Bonnie and Clyde.

When: September 2011
Where: Los Angeles

Following what can only be described as "brief incident with two females," a man dressed as SpongeBob SquarePants was detained and questioned by the LAPD last September. As it turns out, SpongeBob got into a fight with two people on Hollywood Boulevard prior to his little meeting with the police. We're sure he'd rather be in his little pineapple under the sea than out on these unforgiving streets.

When: June and September 2012
Where: New York, NY

The world was stunned over the summer when a deranged, hate-spewing man rocking an Elmo costume was carted out of Central Park. Dubbed the "Anti-Semitic Elmo," he and his hate speech were a fixture in New York prior to his arrest. Following his initial encounter with the law, it was revealed that he had legally changed his name to Adam Sandler after he landed in hot water over a bondage porn site he ran in Cambodia titled Welcome to Rape Camp. Somehow, this is all true.

Just when we thought we had seen the last of Sandler, he was arrested in Times Square in September. He was busted for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.  Witnesses say he was doing his usual ranting about "filthy Jews." The only thing more absurd than Sandler's actions is the fact that his name is Adam Sandler.

When: October 2012
Where: Petoskey, MI

Batman has always had a strained relationship with the police, but this dude was practically begging to get arrested, simply for being a pain in the ass. Mark Williams, also known as the Petoskey Batman, was arrested last month for interfering with a police investigation. Authorities arrived at the scene of an accident where the driver had fled and ran into Williams, costume and all.

Williams ignored their requests to leave the scene, as they had a canine with them, and didn't want Williams to alter the scent. Williams said that he wanted to help look for the driver, but wound up pissing the police off instead. He was eventually charged with obstructing police during an investigation, and his costume and accessories were taken.

Previously, he had been arrested in May 2011 when police found him hanging from a roof, armed with a baton, chemical irritant spray, and lead-lined gloves. He was sentenced to six months probation and ordered to keep his costume permanently locked up in the bat cave. 

No one deserves him.