ROHNERT PARK (KRON) — As many of you are aware, there has been a National increase in “Creepy Clown” reports across our entire nation.
The Creepy Clown fad resurfaced in August when children in Greenville, South Carolina reported clowns in the woods trying to lure them into the darkness.
Social media has blown up with reports since then of sightings, threats, assaults, and hoaxes. Some social media sites included images of clowns, guns, and threats against schools.
KRON4 first reported a Bay Area woman who fended off a clown in Concord at a bus station when the clown reached out to grab her child, police are still searching for the man.
Antioch Police investigated specific threats against their schools, which turned out to be a hoax.
RPDPS has responded to and investigated approximately nine reports and sightings in the last three days, none that have been legitimately criminal.
Sonoma State University has also been monitoring and responding to reports of sightings and took a case last Tuesday with an uninvolved person in a gorilla suit. To date, we have not identified a credible threat.
Friday night is the first opening of Blind Scream, a commercial haunted house in Sonoma Mountain Village. We have contacted the business representative and expressed our concerns regarding the creepy clown hype. We want to ensure their actors do not freelance and walk around the community to scare people.
With the amount of attention this is receiving there could be a backlash and assault out of fear against the person dressed as a clown. The RPDPS will continue to monitor all reports.
Halloween is fast approaching and we expect that the fad will continue, if not increase until the holiday passes.
Please report any threat immediately and report sightings so we can determine if a crime is being committed.