Two of the costumed characters in Times Square, Minnie Mouse and Hello Kitty, were arrested last week for fighting each other, according to the Huffington Post.
The incident is one of many as costumed characters in Manhattan continue to fight over boundaries regarding territory and tips.
The recent incident involved 34-year-old Sandra Mocha and 40-year-old Giovanna Melendez, according to The New York Daily News. The fight was reportedly over tips.
Times Square has reportedly become the main center for problems among costumed characters. Two separate Spidermen have been arrested while a man playing Cookie Monster was arrested in April for groping a girl, according to TIME.
“This is another reason why we need regulations to address the growing problems in Times Square,” stated Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance.
Last summer, two Statues of Liberty reportedly got into a fight.
“A dangerous character could be hiding in a cuddly character,” New York Council member Peter Vallone had stated in 2013 after a costumed character was arrested for allegedly trying to extort $2 million from the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
Mocha and Melendez were reportedly arrested for assault and harassment.
The ongoing spats among the costumed characters may be a result of the fact that they are reportedly not sanctioned by the city or by any business. Although people have reportedly been fighting with the city for years for the right to accept tips for photos, the New York City Council has reportedly remained difficult.
The New York City Council has reportedly been pushing for the costumed characters to get fingerprinted, as well as to have them pay up to $170 for a two-year license in order to accept tips.
Even though costumed characters have been getting a bad reputation as of late, most of the characters have reportedly had no problems with other characters or tourists.
“Most of us are trying to make a living,” stated Edwin Garcia, who plays Elmo.
