LAGRANGE, Ga. — Don’t be fooled by the curly wig, the wide smile or the oversized shoes.
Clowns are on the loose in at least one Georgia city. And authorities say they are spreading fear, not cheer.
LaGrange police received "several calls about clowns in a van and in wooded areas trying to talk to children" and it's no laughing matter, the department said Monday in a Facebook post.
“This behavior is not cute or funny,” police said in the post. “Understand that if officers see this behavior, you’re going to have a conversation with them. And, if applicable, you may face criminal charges.”
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The warning from LaGrange police follows multiple creepy clown sightings in the Carolinas and Wisconsin this summer. Parents have been on edge after about a half-dozen reports of the menacing clowns trying to lure children to wooded areas.
In one case in Greensboro, N.C., a man wielding a machete allegedly chased a clown in a scary mask, red hair and clown shoes into the woods last Tuesday.
Police asked people to refrain from confronting anyone acting suspiciously, clowns or otherwise.