Suspicious "clown" spotted in Liberty Hill
BY ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH
A suspicious person wearing a full body black and white clown costume was spotted in a residential area in Liberty Hill, police reported Thursday.
On Wednesday night, Oct. 5 at approximately 11:51 p.m., Liberty Hill Police Officers went to investigate a suspicious person call at the Carl Shipp Townhomes in the 300 block of Loop 332.
“The caller reported noises and banging on their garage door,” police said in a release.
The caller looked outside and observed a person of unknown race or gender wearing a full-body black and white stripped clown costume with white face pain and wearing a black afro style wig. The person was described as being about 5 feet, nine inches tall with a slim build.
“The subject was last seen fleeing into the wood line towards TX 29,” police said. “Officers conducted an area check and did not locate anyone or any evidence left behind.”
About three hours earlier at about 9:08 p.m., officers responded to the 100 block of Barrington Drive regarding a suspicious person with a flashlight walking between homes, “but no description was given and it is unknown if the two incidents are related,” police said.
“The Liberty Hill Police Department is well aware that clown sightings have become a national problem, both as hoaxes and criminal acts in communities including schools.
Numerous law enforcement agencies have or currently are investigating these alleged incidents of menacing looking clowns in numerous communities and schools across our country, which apparently are intended to put fear and anxiety in in the community and amongst students and parents alike,” police said Thursday.
“Regardless, we are taking this incident seriously and have ensured that the same precautionary measures are actively in place as with any potential threat of violence in order to provide for the safety of all. We continue to encourage our community to alert officials of any potential threats and we ask that everyone be cautious of rumors and what they share via social media.
We also warn anyone not to dress up as clowns with the intent to become involved in this trend or use this in conjunction with criminal activity. Participating in this trend can result in someone getting hurt including those dressed as clowns and prosecution if found to be involved in criminal activity.
The Liberty Hill Police Department in conjunction with our law enforcement cyber partners will aggressively investigate any/all matters of threats associated with this trend and aggressively prosecute anyone who purports such threats.”
Anyone having information related to any criminal activities or information regarding this incident are encouraged to contact the Liberty Hill Police Department at 512-515-5409.
Updates will be posted as they become available.
