Police warn locals not to approach man in Cookie Monster costume terrorising seaside area
22 February 2023, 21:54 | Updated: 23 February 2023, 07:16
Police have warned locals not to engage a man walking around dressed as the Cookie Monster who has been terrorising a seaside area in California.
The man, who wears a costume of the beloved Sesame Street character, has reportedly been creeping out visitors to the Santa Cruz Wharf, bothering them and aggressively yelling.
One visitor to the popular tourist destination said: “It's the creepy monster not the Cookie Monster."
One person who works locally said he turned up the day Sesame Street creator Lloyd Morrisett died in January this year, local outlet KSBW reported.
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Mark said: "I saw him on the day the 'Sesame Street' creator died. Like I told you, he was sad about that. He kept showing up and people started complaining about him."
Joyce Blaschke of Santa Cruz Police Department said: “We are getting calls from people who say he is ‘creepy.’
"Based on his history, we advise the public to not engage with this individual. Steer clear from him."
Police have said the man has faced criminal charges in other parts of the United States but didn't provide any further details.
Though they have received several calls about the Cookie Monster, the man hasn't committed any crimes and so can't be arrested.
One person reported that he has been getting in other visitors' faces.
Michelle Roberts, a visitor to the pier, said: “We saw him at the beginning of the wharf.
"At first glance, it just seemed like maybe it would be fun to do a selfie with him but we were away from him and then we went to the back of the wharf by the deadlines, and that's when we saw him coming out making a commotion and getting in people's faces."
The man behind the Cookie Monster mask has reportedly been named as Adam Sandler - but he's no relation to the Hollywood actor.
Mr Sandler, 59, has a history of causing trouble in costumes, according to police.
In the mid-2010s Mr Sandler would dress up as Elmo in San Francisco and shout at tourists who wouldn't give him a tip when they took a photo with him, earning the nickname "Evil Elmo".
He was eventually arrested and banned from the Fisherman’s Wharf and Embarcadero piers in the city.
Mr Sandler has history of causing trouble across the US.
LA police detective Jeana Franco said in 2016: “This guy is like a national nuisance.”
A business owner in LA said: “I would like to see him get some kind of help. I don’t think he belongs out on the street… no one wants to hear the Cookie Monster say he’s going to kill their family.”
