Four creepy clowns spotted in Central Texas

Four creepy clown sightings have been reported in Central Texas. FOX 7 spoke with one parent who spotted a clown hiding near the neighborhood's bus stop. It may sound like a joke to some, but she is taking it very seriously.

The clown hysteria is going on all over the country. Up until now though, no one had actually seen one in our area. This prompting local police and school districts to work together on keeping children safe.

Lizeth Gutierrez was getting ready to take her 6-year-old to school, but it was no ordinary morning.

"He just kept saying look, look and I'm like, 'What? What are you talking about?' I turn around and I was like, 'Oh heck no!'" says Lizeth Gutierrez, witnessed clown.

That's when she saw a clown - dressed in black, with a mask and orange hair.

"He was right here," says Gutierrez.

He was hiding behind the mailboxes next to the neighborhood's bus stop. Gutierrez jumped into her car with her son and quickly called 911.

"They're kids, they don't know any better. So nowadays, you just don't know. As a grown up, you just don't know what to think because you don't know if it's a molester, you don't know if it's a killer," says Gutierrez.

That sighting happened in Manor around 6:40 Monday morning in the Bell Farms neighborhood. When police came to the area, no clown was found. The second clown sighting was shortly after, at Bastrop and Parsons Street. A Manor High School student says a man with a clown mask stopped his vehicle at the bus stop and attempted to start a conversation.

There was also a sighting in Round Rock. Police say they got a report of a clown walking in a residential area near downtown around 4:30 Monday morning.

The subject was reportedly wearing a large, red bushy-haired clown mask, a dark shirt and light-colored pants.
Officers addressed concerns on Tuesday during their National Night Out.

"Our concern is that we're going to see a lot more of these and my concern is with the reactions that people are going to have. We want to make sure people are safe. We want to make sure kids, teenagers, young adults, anybody for that matter, doesn't decide to put on one of these costumes with the intent to harass people, scare them or torment them," says Lt. Ben Hall, Round Rock Police Department.

Otherwise there could be criminal consequences.

"Some people think it's a joke and it's funny, but it's not. They're really threatening people out here," says Gutierrez.

The Texas State University Police Department received a report of an assault that occurred Monday evening at the Bobcat Village Apartments, located at 1301 Aquarena Springs Drive. The suspect reportedly grabbed someone but they were able to get away. An active investigation is ongoing.

The suspect was observed wearing a clown costume described as a black-and-white striped jumpsuit, wearing a green wig, face painted white with black around the eyes.