Clowns in woods try to lure children with money, residents say (original) (raw)

Residents of a Greenville County apartment complex say clowns have tried to lure their children into the woods with large amounts of money, and deputies have released the report Monday in connection to the claims.WYFF News 4 first asked the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office on Friday about the complaints. Drew Pinciaro, with GCSO, checked with Crimes against Children investigators and was told and they were not aware of anything like that being reported.But Pinciaro sent out a release on Monday saying, “Many of you have inquired about clowns being spotted in the woods near Fleetwood Manor Apartments. As of today’s date, there has been one incident report filed with our office regarding this. I have attached a copy of the incident report for your review. “In the report you will note there were two other calls related to this. One call was regarding the clown sightings and the other call was in reference to gunshots being heard in the area. In both calls, the complainants refused to give their names and no incident report was filed. Our deputies did not locate anyone matching the description when they responded. “This case has been assigned to our follow-up unit for further investigation and we also have deputies extra patrolling that area.” The police report from Aug. 21 says a deputy went to Fleetwood Manor to conduct a follow-up investigation of reports from two callers on Aug. 20 who said a suspicious person dressed in circus clown clothing and white face paint trying to entice children to follow him into the woods. Pinciaro said no police reports were filed Aug. 20 because the callers were "uncooperative and would not leave their names."A woman told the deputy that her son told her that he saw several clowns in the woods “whispering and making strange noises.” She said she went with her son to the area where he said he had seen the clowns, and her son told her that he saw several clowns in the woods who were flashing green laser lights before they ran away. The woman’s older son told the deputy that he heard chains and banging on the front door of their home on the night of Aug. 20.Donna Arnold says her son told her about seeing clowns. She says he is scared.“At first, I thought he was telling a fib and I said, ‘Go in the house and we'll talk about this again,’ because I didn't want it all over the place,” Arnold said. “And then the next day, there was like 30 kids that came up to me and said, ‘Ms. Donna, Ms. Donna, there's clowns in the woods.’ My child was with me, so I knew they had to see something. There was more than one kid that seen them, so I feel confident that he was telling the truth.”Another resident told the deputy that when she was walking to her home on Aug. 21 at about 2:30 a.m., she saw a large clown with a “blinking nose” standing under lamp post near a dumpster. She said the clown waved at her, but did not approach her or speak.The deputy said other children told him that several clowns appeared in the woods and tried entice them into the woods by showing them large amounts of cash. The children said they think the clowns live in a house near a pond at the end of a trail in the woods.The deputy walked the trail to a house near a pond in the woods behind the apartment. The deputy said there were no signs of suspicious activity and found no one dressed as a clown.The deputy said he investigated a report of gunfire the night before, and learned that men from the apartment complex, who were aware of the complaints about clowns, fired weapons in the direction of the wooded area after they heard noises.Last Wednesday, the property manager at Fleetwood Manor sent a letter to residents warning of the complaints.The full, uncorrected text of the letter says: “There has been several conversation and a lot of complaints to the office regarding a clown or a person dressed in clown clothing taking children or trying to lure children in the woods.“First and foremost at Fleetwood Manor Apartments childrens safety in a top priority. At no time should a child be alone at night, or walking in the roads or wooded areas at night. Also if a person or person are seen you are to immediately called the police. Greenville County Police Department if aware of the situation and have been riding the property daily.“Remember there is a 10 p.m. curfew for the property so to ensure your childrens safety please keep them in the house during the night hours and make sure at all time children are supervised.Anymore information that comes regarding this issue will be sent out to all residents.”“I want it gone,” Donna Arnold said. “We've got over 300 kids in this community and I love all of them. And I'm scared that something is going to happen to them.”

GREENVILLE, S.C. —

Residents of a Greenville County apartment complex say clowns have tried to lure their children into the woods with large amounts of money, and deputies have released the report Monday in connection to the claims.

WYFF News 4 first asked the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office on Friday about the complaints. Drew Pinciaro, with GCSO, checked with Crimes against Children investigators and was told and they were not aware of anything like that being reported.

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But Pinciaro sent out a release on Monday saying, “Many of you have inquired about clowns being spotted in the woods near Fleetwood Manor Apartments. As of today’s date, there has been one incident report filed with our office regarding this. I have attached a copy of the incident report for your review.

“In the report you will note there were two other calls related to this. One call was regarding the clown sightings and the other call was in reference to gunshots being heard in the area. In both calls, the complainants refused to give their names and no incident report was filed. Our deputies did not locate anyone matching the description when they responded.

“This case has been assigned to our follow-up unit for further investigation and we also have deputies extra patrolling that area.”

The police report from Aug. 21 says a deputy went to Fleetwood Manor to conduct a follow-up investigation of reports from two callers on Aug. 20 who said a suspicious person dressed in circus clown clothing and white face paint trying to entice children to follow him into the woods. Pinciaro said no police reports were filed Aug. 20 because the callers were "uncooperative and would not leave their names."

A woman told the deputy that her son told her that he saw several clowns in the woods “whispering and making strange noises.” She said she went with her son to the area where he said he had seen the clowns, and her son told her that he saw several clowns in the woods who were flashing green laser lights before they ran away. The woman’s older son told the deputy that he heard chains and banging on the front door of their home on the night of Aug. 20.

Donna Arnold says her son told her about seeing clowns. She says he is scared.

“At first, I thought he was telling a fib and I said, ‘Go in the house and we'll talk about this again,’ because I didn't want it all over the place,” Arnold said. “And then the next day, there was like 30 kids that came up to me and said, ‘Ms. Donna, Ms. Donna, there's clowns in the woods.’ My child was with me, so I knew they had to see something. There was more than one kid that seen them, so I feel confident that he was telling the truth.”

Another resident told the deputy that when she was walking to her home on Aug. 21 at about 2:30 a.m., she saw a large clown with a “blinking nose” standing under lamp post near a dumpster. She said the clown waved at her, but did not approach her or speak.

The deputy said other children told him that several clowns appeared in the woods and tried entice them into the woods by showing them large amounts of cash. The children said they think the clowns live in a house near a pond at the end of a trail in the woods.

The deputy walked the trail to a house near a pond in the woods behind the apartment. The deputy said there were no signs of suspicious activity and found no one dressed as a clown.

The deputy said he investigated a report of gunfire the night before, and learned that men from the apartment complex, who were aware of the complaints about clowns, fired weapons in the direction of the wooded area after they heard noises.

Last Wednesday, the property manager at Fleetwood Manor sent a letter to residents warning of the complaints.

The full, uncorrected text of the letter says: “There has been several conversation and a lot of complaints to the office regarding a clown or a person dressed in clown clothing taking children or trying to lure children in the woods.

“First and foremost at Fleetwood Manor Apartments childrens safety in a top priority. At no time should a child be alone at night, or walking in the roads or wooded areas at night. Also if a person or person are seen you are to immediately called the police. Greenville County Police Department if aware of the situation and have been riding the property daily.

“Remember there is a 10 p.m. curfew for the property so to ensure your childrens safety please keep them in the house during the night hours and make sure at all time children are supervised.

Anymore information that comes regarding this issue will be sent out to all residents.”

“I want it gone,” Donna Arnold said. “We've got over 300 kids in this community and I love all of them. And I'm scared that something is going to happen to them.”