Creepy Clown Sighting Reported in Worth

OAK LAWN, IL — Social media was all a-twitter Monday evening with the reported sighting of a creepy clown in Worth.

The Chicago Ridge Neighborhood Watch Facebook group posted a photo from a member’s daughter, who took a picture of the joker’s backside near 111th Street and Harlem Avenue, across the street from the Worth Police Department.

The clown was also reported strolling down 79th Street in Burbank. Both sightings have yet to be confirmed by police.

"While the media is making this into a strange phenomena we have had no clown sightings reported [in Burbank]," Burbank Division Chief Michael Dudlo said via email. "However; like most things created by media coverage, I would suspect it would be a matter of time that we start receiving some reports [or] copy cat antics."

Sightings of people dressed as creepy, menacing clowns have been reported in 26 states, according to the Boston Globe.

Further, nobody really knows why, except that it has left a lot of people feeling on edge. The clown-hating phenom may have its origins in serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who used to don a clown costume and visit children’s hospitals uninvited or march in parades as "Pogo."

When pictures of Gacy in his clown garb hit the news media after his arrest in 1978, professional clowns commented on Gacy’s unintentionally garish clown face, who used points to accentuate the mouth and eyes instead of rounded-off corners like silly, sweet Emmett Kelly.

Earlier Monday, the @IllinoisClown account tweeted that he was in Shorewood, heading for Plainfield.

He later tweeted that “two hours in Plainfield are enough.” (We agree.)

Did @IllinoisClown make it to Worth? The clown means no harm, he tweeted.

Photo: Chicago Ridge Neighborhood Watch Facebook Page