cnn.com (CNN) -- A Florida man picked the wrong day to tickle Elmo.
The man who police say assaulted another man dressed in an Elmo suit left the altercation with two broken fingers and was detained for a mental health evaluation, police said.
The dust-up between the suspect and the man dressed as the beloved Sesame Street character occurred Saturday afternoon in a guitar store in the city of Winter Park.
The suspect came into the store and began assaulting customers, including the man in the red furry suit, police said.
"The man who was wearing the Elmo costume was already in the store when the suspect entered the store and was physically aggressive towards customers and staff," Winter Park police said in a statement. "The suspect in this case suffered broken fingers and was taken to the hospital where he would receive treatment for his injuries and undergo a mental evaluation. The man dressed as Elmo was the victim in this incident and was not injured."
CNN-affiliate WFTV said the man had been hired to perform as Elmo at a children's event and the attacker began throwing punches at the costumed man.
The scuffle sent the guitar store into chaos, according to store employees who called 911.
"He has physically hit customers; he knocked over a display," an employee said on 911 tapes that police released. "The place is in complete disarray right now."
