Terror in South Carolina town as clown tries to lure children into the woods

A clown has been spotted trying to lure children into the woods near an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina. Photo / 123rf

Parents at a South Carolina apartment complex are on high alert after reports of a clown trying to lure children in the woods.

Management at the Fleetwood Manor Apartments in Greenville issued a warning to parents last Wednesday, saying they had received numerous complaints about a "clown or a person dressed in clown clothing taking children or trying to lure children [into] the woods".

The warning says that the Greenville County Police Department is aware of the sightings and has been patrolling the property daily to find the culprit.

Resident Donna Arnold told WHNS that she called police after her son and some other children reported seeing the clown near the basketball court.

"I thought my child was seeing things, and then the next day I had about 30 kids come up to me and say 'did you see the clown in the woods?'

"They finally sent people out here to check, they found some evidence," Arnold said.

Another resident said she saw the clown waving to her from the woods surrounding the property, near some dumpsters.

Community activist Bruce Wilson says he is making sure police stay on top of the sightings, since there are hundreds of children living in the complex.

"We have about two to three hundred children out here," Wilson said. "I want to make sure that law enforcement is doing the right thing."