Clowns are a sore point with tons of people. While they're supposed to be jolly fun for everyone, especially kids, they still tend to have that somewhat creepy side that many shy away from. It doesn't help that John Wayne Gacy, a convicted and executed serial killer, painted himself up like a clown at times to entertain kids. And the number of clowns gone bad in horror movies are too numerous to count. That's what makes this failed abduction that much creepier.
An 8-year-old Florida girl was playing in her fenced-in backyard with her 2-year-old brother when she started screaming for her mother. When her mom rushed out to see what was going on, the girl said that four people, wearing black, were calling to the siblings from outside the fence. To make matters worse, one of the foiled abductors was wearing a terrible clown mask, and the girl says he tried to climb the privacy fence and was wielding a knife.
Fortunately their mother and other family members heard the girl freaking out and came to her aid. When they ran out to where the kids were, the four suspects — two men and two women — fled on foot. The family called 911, and a K-9 unit was able to track a scent, but they ultimately lost the trail, and no arrests have been made.
Roberta Giambanco, the kids' mother, says she's frustrated and scared. I can't say I blame her. Not only were the suspects not apprehended, but now her kids are probably going to have a lifelong fear of clowns, which nobody wants, and they also may be afraid to play outside.
And seriously, what sort of a sicko wears a clown mask to try to abduct kids? Did he grab the nearest mask, or was his intention to scar them for life? Any mask has the potential to be trauma-inducing, especially if the one wearing it looks like he's trying to climb into your yard to get you, but a clown mask is just wrong.
Your own yard is supposed to be a safe place for your children to play in and explore, particularly when it's fenced in with a tall privacy fence like this family has. Hopefully these idiots will be apprehended and the kids can again feel comfortable playing outside in their own yard.
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