By Tim Binnall
Authorities in a California city have issued a rather strange warning about an unsettling man seen dressed in a Cookie Monster costume while roaming around the boardwalk of the coastal community. According to a local media report, the peculiar 'performer' first appeared in Santa Cruz earlier this month and quickly caused a stir among residents. Detailing the situation on Instagram, the city's police department explained that they have "received calls and emails from people who say he is 'creepy' and his presence and comments make them uncomfortable." As such, they advised residents "not to engage with this individual and steer clear of him."
Strangely enough, the identity of the man inside the costume is no mystery as cops say his name is Adam Sandler, though they noted that "he has no relation to the actor." The curious character reportedly has a rather rich history of what Santa Cruz police generously described as "troublesome behavior" in various locales across America, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City, and has run afoul of the law on more than a few occasions. As of now, the creepy Cookie Monster poses something of a conundrum to Santa Cruz police as he has not broken any laws during his visit to the community and, they stressed, for now he is simply "exercising his first amendment rights."
That said, authorities have asked residents to report any criminal activity they may witness or fall victim to at the hands of the character, who some have also likened to an evil Elmo. A local reporter who caught up with Sandler cruising around the boardwalk as Cookie Monster was assured by the rogue performer that he is "not a bad person," though it would appear that irritated residents think differently as, during the conversation, a young man yelled "get out of Santa Cruz" at him. Considering the negative attention that his presence in the community has garnered from both police and people living in the city, Sandler would probably be wise to heed that 'advice' and head for greener pastures.