Posted on 09/06/2016 6:22:17 AM PDT by Gamecock
Carlotta Roberts and Simone Griffin’s Labor Day included playing with their kids, looking for a cookout to crash and keeping an eye out for a clown.
“You think of a clown being fun,” Roberts said.
Not this one.
Winston-Salem Police are investigating two separate sightings of a man who was dressed as a clown on Sunday night and early Monday morning. In the first case, two children reported seeing a clown in the 1200 block of E. 29th Street on Sunday. The clown used treats to attempt to lure the children into the woods, fleeing around 8:30 p.m., after police were called to the scene.
According to police, two children saw the suspect, and an adult heard him, but did not see him. No one was injured.
About four hours later, a caller told police that a person dressed as a clown was seen in the 1600 block of Hope Lane, which is in the Aster Park Apartments complex off Trade Street.
The caller refused to give a name and provided little information, said Lt. Brian Dobey of Winston-Salem Police.
The two sightings are about 2 miles apart.
In the first case, the clown was described as wearing white overalls, white gloves and red shoes with bushy red hair, a white face and red nose.
No description was provided in the second call, Dobey said.
“We have only limited information in the first call and very limited information in the second one,” he said.
Clown sightings are something of an Internet phenomenon, reaching maximum exposure on such sites as Facebook, often stoking old childhood fears of creepy clowns.
Last week, clown sightings were reported in Greenville, S.C., and in August, someone dressed as a clown wandered the streets of Green Bay, Wis., but that turned out to be a marketing ploy for a locally produced short movie.
Though these cases typically wind up as pranks, Dobey said Winston-Salem police are taking the calls seriously.
“Until proven otherwise, we go full steam at it,” he said. “You’ve got to treat it as very serious until the investigation works itself out.”
Roberts and Griffin were taking it seriously, too. Leaning against the porch railing of Roberts’ home in Aster Park, the women said they are keeping their children close on what was a gorgeous day to play outside.
“We just had a conversation with the kids,” Griffin said. “It is something to worry about.”
Each of the women has three kids between the ages of 5 and 7 years old.
Aster Park Apartments backs up against Gateway Commons Park, a wooded area.
The 1200 block of East 29th Street fronts a sprawling wooded area bounded by Fairchild Road on the north and Liberty Street to the west.
One group of kids enjoyed the day on the porch of their home that overlooked the woods. But mostly, the street was quiet.
Clowns have gone downhill since Bozo left the industry.
Uhhh...no! They were always freaks! Anyone who would dress up like that and act that way is bizarre and on the edge!
Too bad this isn’t happening in Colorado instead. It’s almost hunting season and I could use a fun, new hobby of woodland clown trapping.
The scariest clown of all time.
Is this a commonplace activity? I've never heard of such a thing.
This is not a clown. It is a predator cleverly disguised as a clown.
That area is largely public housing.
I’ve seen that finger-point and facial expression before. Hillary Clinton, when she comes onstage.
You're living in the past, man. You're hung up on some clown from the SIXTIES, MAN!
Right you are!
I’ve been a fan of Eric the Clown ever since he stomped out that fire with his clown feet.
Where is Frenchy T. Clown these days?
Pennywise! My favorite clown! (-:
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