neighborhood news

Spider-Man and Batman Team Up to Fight Times Square Hecklers

Photo: Abraham Riesman

Another day, another surreal altercation involving the people who solicit tourist dollars in Times Square while wearing costumes. This time, Spider-Man and Batman teamed up to take down a pair of rude pedestrians on Saturday night. The New York Post reports that the two men (also known as 41-year-old Jose Escalona-Martinez and 35-year-old Abdel Elkahezai) leapt into action when 23-year-old Thomas Rorke and his friend started making “sexually suggestive gestures” at them near Broadway and 44th Street. Punches were thrown, and Escalona-Martinez, Elkahezai, and Rorke all ended up arrested on assault charges. New York City Council member Andy King recently proposed legislation that would require Times Square’s characters to register for a $175 license, but we don’t see how that’s going to stop this kind of crowd-pleasing magic from occurring. 

Times Square Spider-Man & Batman Fight Hecklers