A man in a clown mask could be the culprit in a Wednesday break-and-enter.
Victoria police received a report of a break-in in progress at Frank White’s Dive Store about 6:45 a.m. A staff member said knives and cameras were among the items taken.
Police did not locate a suspect, but said a witness told them that the man may have been wearing a clown mask. Witnesses also reported seeing a man with a shaved head, a dark grey, long-sleeved sweater and a dark BMX bike.
“There is no information to believe that this is associated to the ‘clown craze’ that has been reported in the media,” said Victoria police spokesman Const. Matt Rutherford.
The “creepy clown” phenomenon involves people dressing up as clowns and scaring or surprising people.
Charges of uttering threats and mischief were approved against a 16-year-old boy in connection with a clown incident after a threat led to Prince George schools being locked down last week.
West Shore RCMP Const. Alex Bérubé said there have been a few cases in his jurisdiction that might relate to the clown craze. They involve balloons with messages including “I love you” or “I hate you” being tied to car antennas, he said.
More clown incidents could come up as Halloween approaches, he said.
“The only message I would put out there is if anybody feels threatened by acts of creepy clowns … they should report it to police because we take this very seriously.
Victoria police ask anyone with information on the break-and-enter to call them at 250 995-7654 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
