Creepy Clowns Pop Up in Several California Towns (Like 'American Horror Story,' But Real!)
For when you want that American Horror Story experience IRL:
A creepy clown carrying a bouquet of balloons has been spotted wandering the streets of Wasco, Cali. numerous times in the past week. Thankfully, he’s not quiet as terrifying as Freak Show’s Twisty, but we’d prefer not to run into ANY clowns in the dead of the night, thank you very much.
“Come find me, I will give you a balloon,” the Wasco Clown wrote on Twitter. (Because of course he’s on social media. It’s 2014. He also has an Instagram account, and a Facebook page has been set up to track his sightings.)
I am the clown with the tear-away face
Here in a flash and gone without a trace
In our town of Halloween
— Wasco Clown (@RealWascoClown) October 12, 2014
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The clown, who asked to remain anonymous, apparently told local Kern Golden Empire that his identity is part of a “year-long photography project conducted by his wife.”
And the police don’t seem too worried: Wasco police Sgt. Ian Changler says, “I am unaware of any crimes committed by clowns...We have had no reports of any assaults by a clown nor have we any arrests of any clowns at any time I have been here.”
Seems harmful enough.
For now.
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Bakersfield is not so lucky.
A copycat clown has popped up half an hour away from Wasco in Bakersfield, Cali. where police have apparently received calls reporting clowns “swaying machetes, baseball bats, those types of things.” But the Bakersfield P.D. is having NONE of it.
“We will make arrests on this,” Sgt. Joe Grubbs says. “We want this to stop.”
According to LA Times, police have already made one arrest: A teenager was brought in “on suspicion of annoying a minor” after he dressed as a clown (albeit with no weapons) and chased another teen. The chasee was apparently left “pretty shaken up.”
The original night clown was the Northampton Clown, who was spotted in the streets of the small U.K. town last year. “He doesn’t juggle. He doesn’t twist balloons into animal shapes. He just stares,” one resident said at the time. In the end, he was revealed to be 22-year-old filmmaker, Alex Powell.
“I am not the only clown roaming the streets in Wasco or even the state of California,” the Wasco Clown tweeted. “But I am the first.” Not true (see above) but please, please, please don’t make this a trend. Please don’t come to Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Ryan Murphy teases "scariest" AHS season yet: