(File Photo of Police Siren Lights)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) A man from New Jersey accused of assaulting a woman who was dressed as the Easter Bunny at the South Hills Village Mall in Pittsburgh faced a judge for the first time yesterday. Thirty-six-year-old Bera Shivakrishna is the suspect, who was taken into custody as a result of this incident. According to the criminal complaint, a woman working as the Easter Bunny on March 23rd, 2026 at the mall was taking pictures with children and families when a man approached her and began to ask her questions, which she referred to an assistant.  The man refused and began touching the woman dressed as the Easter Bunny’s arm, then the top of her chest, and then grabbed her breasts. According to the assistant, prior to the alleged assault, he asked questions such as “Is it a boy or a girl?”  The man also began to put his fingers in the nose and mouth of the costume along with grabbing the woman dressed as the bunny, After speaking with the victim and a witness, police reviewed security footage from the mall and were able to identify the suspect. He was later found in the AMC Theater next to the mall and he was asleep in the top row of one of the auditoriums. As he was being taken into custody, according to the criminal complaint provided to KDKA-TV, he asked police, “Is it on the close to Five Below, the merchandise thing, the bunny?” After being read his Miranda Rights, he then asked the police, “It’s a doll, right?” He was informed it was a person, not a doll, and said, “By mistake, my hand touched her, if it’s a lady.” The suspect was identified as Shivakrishna after police were provided with a New Jersey driver’s license that was on his person, and he was charged with indecent assault.  A trial date has not been set yet for Shivakrishna.