AURORA | A middle school principal caught a child clowning around near Horizon Middle School this afternoon, after a boy wearing a clown mask reportedly chased and scared students on their way to and from class two days in a row.
Horizon Principal Ron Garcia y Ortiz chased down the unidentified prankster on a street near the school shortly after school let out Tuesday afternoon, according to Matt Longshore, spokesman for the Aurora Police Department.
The perpetrator, who police cannot identify due to his age, was driven home by Aurora Police officers shortly after Garcia y Ortiz nabbed him.
Longshore said no charges have been filed, and the child will likely only receive a “verbal counseling” from officers.
Crystal McCoy, an APD spokeswoman, said police could investigate the suspect for harassment.
McCoy said police received reports that a person wearing what appeared to be a clown mask chased multiple students near Horizon yesterday afternoon and Tuesday morning. It’s unclear if the joker chased any additional students before being caught Tuesday afternoon.
Both incidents occurred near the intersection of South Walden Street and East Oxford Drive, where the latter street turns into Yampa Street, according to police.
McCoy said three or four children were chased in at least one of the two incidents. No students were injured.
A parent driving by the area snapped a photograph of the suspect out of what appears to be a car window, showing him dressed in black-and-white sneakers, jeans, a checkered flannel shirt with a hood, and what looks like a rubber clown mask with red, white and blue makeup.
Several children who had been chased initially reported the incident to school officials, and later to their parents, according to police.
McCoy said investigators are in the process of completing the narrative report on the incidents and more information could be available Wednesday. She said police sent officers to patrol the area around Horizon as school let out around 3:45 p.m. this afternoon.