‘Tis the season to be spooky but one California man has sparked a chain reaction in the small California town of Wasco that has law enforcement on edge.
A husband-and-wife team are using Instagram as their platform for a project that involves him dressed like a creepy clown for reasons unknown to man. But the circus act has spawned copycats that don’t have the same harmless intentions.
Via Syracuse.com:
Remaining anonymous, the clown was interviewed by Kern Golden Empire, a local media outlet. He told the website that the social media posts are for a year-long photography project by his wife. The pair plans to post photos from their various shoots throughout October.
Local officials are searching for the clown, though it has not committed any crimes. Sgt. Ian Chandler told Kern Golden Empire that the Wasco Police Department have had no reports of assaults or arrests by the clown.
However, the L.A. Times reports that copycats have been terrorizing the town of Bakersfield by standing on street corners with weapons such as bats and machetes.
One arrest was made in Bakersfield, police say. A local teen was arrested after he dressed as a clown, chased after kids — without a weapon — and left one “visibly shaken.” The copycat cited the “Wasco Clown” as inspiration for the stunt.
The L.A. Times says 16 clowns with weapons have been reported since Friday. Officials are looking to end the trend and make more arrests.
Flip through the slides below to see the level of ridiculousness we’re dealing with here. Those with extreme coulrophobia need not apply.
—
Photos: Instagram/Waco Clown
