JERSEY CITY -- One day after charges were filed against two men involved in the now infamous Easter Bunny brawl at Newport Centre mall, their girlfriends stood by their men after court today.

Kassim Charles, the 22-year-old Easter Bunny, and Juan Jimenez-Guerrero, 44, of Bright Street, both made their first court appearances this afternoon on the charges of aggravated assault and improper conduct following Sunday's fight at the Jersey City mall.

While both men appeared by video from Hudson County jail in Kearny, the girlfriends blamed each other's boyfriend for starting the fight, which was caught on tape and quickly lit up social media.

"Without that Easter bunny helmet on, he would have been hurt worse," said Charles' girlfriend, Jasmine Butler. "He had bruises on his face."

Before the fight, Charles was posing with Jimenez-Guerrero's 15-month-old daughter when he dropped the baby, the girl's mother, Nathalie Moreira, said after today's hearing. Charles had told police the child slipped out of the chair after she had her photo taken with him, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said yesterday.

"He dropped my daughter and he had no sympathy for her and my husband was like, 'You just gonna drop my daughter?' and (Charles) just started hitting him," Moreira said.

Moreira said that if the bunny "wanted to fight, he should have let my husband put the baby down first. My husband took a lot of punches just protecting her. My daughter was lost for two minutes in the mall. I was screaming."

The fight was captured on video, but Butler said the mall should release the entire video because she said it shows Jimenez-Guerrero "threw the first punch."

Butler said when the fight started she tried to break it up because the baby was in the middle of the fray, but the baby was suddenly gone. She later heard a mall customer had grabbed the child to protect her. Butler added that no one would start a fight in a rabbit suit because the headgear is heavy and is hard to see and hear out of.

Jimenez-Guerrero has 12 prior arrests in New Jersey, four disorderly persons convictions and one criminal conviction. He also has eight prior arrests in New York, where his is wanted on a fugitive from justice warrant. His bail was set today at $25,000 with a 10 percent cash option.

In court today, it was revealed that Charles has one prior arrest in New York and one in New Jersey. There is a warrant his arrest out of Jersey City Municipal Court for a light rail violation and one for a PATH violation. His bail was set today at $20,000 with a 10 percent cash option.

At a bail hearing at 4:30 p.m., Hudson County Superior Court Judge John Young released Charles on his own recognizance.

Both men have been ordered to have no contact with each other. They face three to five years if convicted.

Pushing her daughter from court in a baby carriage, Moreira said she is aware of Jimenez-Guerrero's record and how it could complicate matters for him. "I tell you that it bothers me because my daughter may lose a father," she said.

Meanwhile, Jersey City attorney James Lisa said after today's hearing that he would represent Charles for free.

"I don't know what transpired, but the man was working and he has to deal with all this crap," Lisa said. "I know he doesn't have a lot of money and he is still in jail. Listen, it couldn't be easy to put that suit on."

Moreira said Charles' eyes were bloodshot during the incident, but Butler said they were not bloodshot until afterward. Butler said of Charles that "He is not what everyone is making him out to be."