PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The New York man who punched a teen Sesame Place employee in the face over a mask-wearing dispute will spend up to a decade in prison.
Troy McCoy, 41, was sentenced on Monday to five to 10 years in prison. His girlfriend, 32-year-old Shakerra Bonds, will spend four months to two years in county jail.
The two were convicted of hitting and punching a 17-year-old Sesame Place employee in August 2020, after the employee told McCoy to pull his mask back up.
The couple visited the Langhorne theme park with their two children, ages 2 and 4, shortly after it had reopened with COVID-19 restrictions in place.
According to trial testimony, Bonds eventually confronted the employee and hit him. Then, McCoy punched the 17-year-old from behind, striking him out, breaking his jaw, and knocking out a tooth.
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McCoy was convicted of aggravated assault. Bonds was found guilty of simple assault and disorderly conduct.
Bucks County Judge Wallace Bateman called it a “violent, unprovoked assault on a defenseless teenager.”
Prosecutors read a statement from the employee, saying his jaw is still healing and he is battling depression and anxiety since the assault.
The worker’s mother said her child did not deserve this beating, “especially from two adults who are parents themselves.” McCoy apologized, saying he didn’t mean to injure him. He called it an unfortunate misjudgment.