Police: 3 suspects dressed as clowns chased kids on their way to school in Syracuse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse Police say the creepy clown problem has made its way to the city.

A 10-year-old boy was found hiding in between two houses on Spring Street this morning after he saw three people dressed in clown costumes on his way to school, according to Syracuse Police. The child told police that the clowns started walking towards him when they saw him, and when they did he ran away as fast as he could before calling 911.

Police say they received a description of the three unknown individuals dressed as clowns from the child, but a search of the area didn't yield any of the suspects. As their investigation continued, police say they learned other children seen the clowns, and one child told them he was chased by what appeared to be the same three suspects dressed as clowns.

Police say these actions constitute harassment and loitering and therefore are unlawful. Police promise they will be "strictly enforcing these laws as we believe the actions by these individuals place children in potentially dangerous situations and will not be tolerated."

This comes after several reports of clown sightings in several different areas across the country. In some cases the clowns have reportedly tried to lure children.

SEE ALSO |Real clowns not wild about all of these creepy clown stories

This week Auburn Police made a point of addressing rumors of clown sightings within their city, saying in a Facebook post that there has been no evidence to suggest that the rumors of clown sightings are credible.