Times Square Cookie Monster arrested for fighting toddler

Parmita Kurada says a man dressed as Cookie Monster in Times Square became verbally abusive and pushed her 2-year-old son, Samay, after she refused to pay $2 for the photo.

The performer was Queens resident Osvaldo Quiroz-Lopez, 33 who became irate when Kurada refused to pay. Quiroz-Lopez called Kurada "a b---h" and her son "a bastard," a police source told the New York Daily News.

He then pushed the toddler, who lost his balance and became frightened, police said. Quiroz-Lopez was then arrested and charged with assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He had no prior arrests and was expected to be arraigned Monday afternoon.

Other costumed characters have regularly terrorized tourists in Times Square. Last December a Super Mario performer allegedly groped a woman while he was in possession of marijuana. Last summer, a performer dressed as Elmo was nabbed in Central Park for anti-Semitic ranting on a megaphone.