With Halloween approaching, law enforcement authorities in the Antelope Valley are warning people to be aware of a new prank involving a group of males approaching pedestrians while wearing clown masks and possibly carrying knives.
A statement issued recently from the Lancaster Sheriff’s station read: “At this time, our station is aware of three individual incidents throughout the city. In each incident, there was nothing taken from the victim and it appears that the group of suspects is only trying to scare the victims.”
The Sheriff’s department has reported a series of “scare tactic” style videos appearing online. These and other incidents are similar to the “creepy clown” sightings which have been occurring nationwide involving persons dressed in clown outfits trying to lure young children with candy, small toys or asking for help finding a lost kitten or puppy.
The statement continued: “As we approach Halloween, we remind our citizens to stay aware of their surroundings and to call our station at (661) 948-8466 should they be a victim of an incident like this.”
This month, an Instagram account titled “wearecomingtocali” appeared to be warning viewers of where clown pranks would be happening next, and included Palmdale in its list of cities. Authorities said it was unclear if the posting is related to clown pranks occurring in Lancaster.
The creepy clown saga has reached the hallowed dining halls of McDonalds which this week said its venerable mascot, Ronald McDonald, would be keeping a low profile for the remainder of the year until the sightings subside.
