New Jersey

Hero Easter Bunny in Viral Florida Bar Brawl Video Is Wanted in New Jersey

Antoine McDonald leaped to the defense of a woman fighting with a man Sunday night; it turns out he has a lengthy criminal record and an outstanding warrant out of New Jersey

What to Know

  • The man in a bunny suit who hopped to the defense of a woman outside a Florida bar Sunday night has been identified as Antoine McDonald
  • Antoine McDonald, who told multiple media outlets after the bunny brawl went viral that he was not a violent person, has a criminal past
  • Among other charges, he's wanted out of New Jersey in connection with a September 2018 vehicle burglary and has multiple other arrests

The Easter Bunny who hopped to the defense of a woman during a caught-on-camera brawl outside a Florida bar over the weekend is a 20-year-old man with a violent past who has an outstanding warrant out of New Jersey, officials say.

Footage of Antoine McDonald as a costumed vigilante jumping in to help a woman outside Orlando's Underground Public House Sunday night went viral when it was posted to Instagram. He is seen pummeling the man with his paws before an Orlando cop on patrol intervenes and breaks up the fight. 

It was not clear why the man and woman were fighting, but in the video someone is heard saying “he spit on me." No one was arrested in the case. The bar's night manager told NBC police shook the bunny's hand and let him go. 

If only they had known who he was. 

McDonald was most recently arrested in Pasco County, Florida, in January for alleged identity theft when officials say he tried to rent a Uhaul using a fake ID. He was a person of interest in a carjacking and two armed robberies in the Sunshine State, and has a "non-extraditable failure to appear warrant out of New Jersey," a spokesperson for the Pasco County Sheriff's office said.

Police in South Brunswick, New Jersey, said Tuesday they were aware of the bunny brawl video and said a warrant had been issued for McDonald in October 2018 in connection with some car burglaries. He never appeared in court and his warrant remains active, police said.

The Tampa Bay Times reports authorities believed McDonald had fled the states after the warrant was issued, possibly to Florida under a fake name. Earlier that year, he was arrested for allegedly harassing a man on social media and spitting at a 7-Eleven employee in South Brunswick as well.

McDonald also had been arrested with two others in two armed robberies within 12 hours in Delaware in 2017, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

His whereabouts weren't immediately clear as of late Tuesday. After the bunny brawl video surfaced on social media, he told several media outlets he was not a violent person. 

Contact Us