Man Jailed In Sesame Place Mask Attack

LANGHORNE, PA — A New York man is in jail in Bucks County following charges claiming he attacked a 17-year-old Sesame Place employee after the teen asked him to wear a face mask.

Troy McCoy, 39, of Bronx, New York, was arrested by U.S. Marshals at his home on Wednesday after trying to barricade himself inside. Friday morning, Middletown Township Police officers took custody of McCoy and took him to Bucks County, where he was arraigned before Magisterial Justice John Kelly.

Kelly set McCoy's bail at $500,000, according to police. Unable to pay, McCoy was taken to Bucks County Correctional Facility.

McCoy is charged along with Shakerra Bonds, 31, of the same address, in the Aug. 9 attack of the teen, which put him in the hospital for seven days and required surgery for damage to his jaw and teeth.

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Bonds had agreed to surrender herself to Middletown Township Police on Thursday, but did not appear, according to police. They say she now is making arrangements with the Bucks County District Attorney's Office to surrender herself at another time.

According to a police report, the teen was working near the Langhorne amusement park's Captain Cookie's High C Adventure ride shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 9, when he reminded a man and woman that they needed to be wearing masks due to the park's coronavirus rules.

The two "responded to the request in an aggressive manner, closing the distance ... causing him to back up," according to police.

"During the course of this confrontation, they escalated the incident with both the female and male striking the 17-year-old male Sesame Place staff member in the face, knocking him to the ground," police said.

Another Sesame Place employee tried to help the teen during the attack and the woman, later identified as Bonds, punched that worker in the face as well, police said.

Sesame Place reopened on July 24 after shutting down in March due to the coronavirus outbreak. The park's phased reopening came with a safety plan that includes capacity limits, physical distancing, face covering and temperature screenings.

McCoy is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, criminal conspiracy, two counts of disorderly conduct and harassment. Bonds is charged with two counts of simple assault, criminal conspiracy, two counts of disorderly conduct and harassment.