Police in North Carolina arrested a man Friday accused of falsely reporting a clown sighting amid public outcry over a rash of similar reports.
Police in Winston-Salem said David Armstrong, 24, told officers a clown knocked on his window Friday morning and he gave chase.
He later admitted to fabricating the encounter, WGHP reported. He was arrested on one count of filing a false police report.
North Carolinians have reported clown sightings in Fayetteville, Winston-Salem, High Point and Greensboro. Clowns have also been reported trying to lure children into the woods in Greenville, South Carolina.
None of the reports have been substantiated. Sheriff's deputies in Cleveland County, North Carolina, on Wednesday warned the public about a pair of sightings that were later determined to be false.
"This is kind of getting a little bit out of hand," Capt. Joel Shores told WSOC. "We don't understand why people are doing it, but it becomes a serious issue when you start posting pictures of these clowns and saying you've seen them near a school."
Police have warned that anyone making a false report will be arrested.
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