A creepy looking clown haunting Wasco, California, and posting photos on Instagram has some residents on edge, comparing the costumed visage to Stephen King’s “It” character and admitting to clown phobias.
The Wasco Clown, who goes by that tag on Instagram, appears to be several different people, all of whom
dress up as clowns and pose at various sites around town, KFOR reported.
The Wasco station talked to Anthony Garza, who saw a clown on the streets. “I just seen him about three times already, but yeah he’s creepy,” he told KFOR.
As the Wasco Clown made national news, copycat clown characters are also appearing on city streets, some apparently wielding weapons.
"We've been having sightings all over the city," Lieutenant Jason Matson of the
Bakersfield Police Department told Reuters about the clowns. "They range from anywhere from a guy carrying a gun to a guy carrying a knife running up to houses."
At least one media outlet said some reports may have been hoaxes.
Bakersfield Now reported that police arrested a 14-year-old who admitted to dressing up and chasing school children after he read about the clown reports online.
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