I SAW THE WHOLE THING!

Easter Bunny Gets Pummeled by Boy at Beach

Saturday, March 26, 2005

(03-26) 09:59 PSTSan Onofre, Ca.. (AP) --

The Easter Bunny is hopping mad. Murphy the Mayor, who portrays the furry character at San Onofre beach every year, says he was pummeled in an unprovoked attack on the job. Park rangers say the attacker was a 12-year-old boy who sat on Murphy's lap the day before the incident.

Murphy suffered a bloody nose. He kept his cool during the attack, deeming it inappropriate for the Easter Bunny to fight back. But he's not willing to forgive and forget. "They (the park rangers) told me it was up to me, and I feel that the boy should be prosecuted," Murphy told The Daily Sun Post .

Murphy told park rangers that the boy hit him in the face at least six times before running away. Park Ranger Ephriam said the youth has been in trouble in the past. The case will be forwarded to the San Diego County prosecutor's office next week for action, he said.

Murphy, meanwhile, is back on the job at the beach, where he had been working as the Easter Bunny for about a week before the attack. "I just like getting the kids to laugh and have fun," he said. His job is to get his picture taken with children and make them laugh. That can be difficult because he is not allowed to speak while in costume.

Murphy said his 12-year-old attacker seemed perfectly happy the day before the incident. "Yeah, he came up and said, 'Hi,' and was sitting on my lap and talking," Murphy said. "He seemed OK."

But when he saw Murphy the next day, the boy didn't want to talk. "He just started hitting," Murphy said.