By Tim Binnall
British authorities are on the hunt for a creepy clown who brazenly burglarized a woman's home on Halloween night. According to a Greater Manchester Police bulletin, the caper occurred in the community of Rochdale last Friday evening, when the costumed miscreant visited the victim's residence. Given that it was Halloween, the man's full clown attire did not raise any alarm bells with the woman who helpfully heeded the harlequin's request for a drink. Alas, when the victim went to the kitchen to fetch something that would quench the purportedly parched visitor's thirst, the scoundrel followed her inside the home.
To the woman's astonishment, the clown subsequently snatched a purse and several other items from her residence before dashing off into the night. Particularly distressing to the victim was that the stolen satchel contained her mother’s wedding ring, which understandably held considerable sentimental value. Fortunately, cops say, the clown was foolish enough to "use one of her cards at a shop later that evening." Since he left behind something of a trail for police to follow, one hopes that the misstep will prove to be his undoing.
In appealing to the public for help in bringing the clown to justice, Detective Sergeant Ruth Thompson called the case "a shocking incident, which has left a woman feeling unsafe in her own home." The sergeant subsequently lamented that the victim "has spent many years helping the homeless and working for local charities, so it is particularly grim that someone would exploit her goodwill." Hoping that someone might recognize the clown, police released a rather haunting image of the harlequin (seen above) that was captured by a security camera.