A New Jersey man was arrested after police say he groped the Easter Bunny at a Pennsylvania mall.
Shivakrishna Bera, 36, was charged with indecent assault and harassment in connection with the incident at South Hills Village Mall in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, last week, according to court records obtained by KDKA-TV.
Police say a woman was working in an Easter Bunny costume on March 23, posing for photos with children and families, when Bera approached her and began asking her questions.
The woman, who was not named, tried to get him to speak with an assistant, but he refused, police said.
Instead, police say, Bera touched the woman’s arm and the top of chest before grabbing her breasts.
The assistant told investigators that Bera asked, “Is it a boy or a girl?” and also put his fingers in the nose and mouth of the bunny costume.
Authorities reviewed mall surveillance footage and identified Bera, who was later found asleep inside a nearby AMC movie theater.
While being taken into custody, Bera allegedly asked the police, “It’s a doll, right?” in reference to the Easter Bunny.
After being told there was a person inside the costume, he replied, “By mistake, my hand touched her if it’s a lady.”
Bera is being held in the Allegheny County Jail on a $10,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 2.
