Sheriff Vows to Arrest Creepy Clowns

More sightings of people dressed in clown makeup and wigs have led police in Greenville, SC, to warn that anyone doing so will be arrested. "It's illegal. It's dangerous. It's inappropriate, and it's creating community concern so it needs to stop," says Police Chief Ken Miller, per the Greenville News. He cites a state law that bans residents over 16 from wearing a mask or anything else that masks their identity in public, unless for means of employment. Police say calls about clowns around Greenville have continued this week after children initially claimed clowns were trying to lure them into the woods.

Two calls directing police to an apartment complex Tuesday may have been a hoax, police say. However, a woman reported seeing a clown in her backyard on Wednesday, the same day a young girl said she saw one in the woods, reports Fox 6. A woman says she also saw a clown outside a laundromat on Wednesday, reports WSPA. In all cases, clowns of varying appearance "stand in an area to be seen and watch the reaction of individuals" but don’t speak, Miller says. "If there are sightings, take a photo, note person and vehicle descriptions, pay attention to direction of travel, and immediately call 911," a police rep adds. (More South Carolina stories.)