Cookie Monster attacked

In Langhorne, Pa, a man with a plan was soon in the can soon to be followed by a Sesame Street ban.

Lee P. McPhatter intended to introduce the Cookie Monster to his 3 year old daughter. His plans crumbled.
McPhatter says that the Cookie Monster refused to pose for a photo with his daughter.

Police say Lee P. McPhatter was upset that the Cookie Monster would not pose for a picture at the Sesame Place theme park. And what did McPhatter do? Walk away, telling his daughter that Ernie and Bert were no doubt around the corner? Try baiting the blue monster with his namesake? Nope. According to police reports, McPhatter(god, I like typing that name!) shoved and kicked the beloved monster. McPhatter is in Cookie denial.


An early shot of Cookie with Mom Monster


"People started yelling at me that I should be ashamed of myself for hitting Cookie Monster. I did not kick or punch Cookie Monster. The cop did not want to hear my side of the story, and I got arrested," said McPhatter, who described the character as his 3-year-old daughter Mina's favorite. That would be Mina McPhatter.

Middletown police checked on the human inside the blue furr and found Jennie McNelis, 21, with bruised ribs and a cervical sprain. This happened when McPhatter shoved her to the ground, then kicked her in the head and back.





McPhatter regals all who will listen with his reasons for attacking the jovial Monster. He claims that as his daughter waited to talk to Cookie, she was pushed around by others. McPhatter said he twice asked Cookie to pose with his daughter. McPhatter then claims Cookie "aggressively" placed a big blue paw on his daughter's head and pushed her.

Audrey Shapiro, a Sesame Street spokesmonster, confirmed that the incident took place, but called it a rare event. "Our characters do not act the way this man said," she continued. "It is an honor to be Cookie Monster."

McPhatter is free on $20,000 unsecured bail following the June 9 incident. He said he would fight the charges tooth and nail! Charges include simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct.

"Why would someone take their 3-year-old daughter to the park and attack Cookie Monster?" he asked. "I would never do that in front of my daughter."

I bet he wouldn't have taken on the Count that way!