SAN DIEGO - A group of clowns who say they started the clown craze in San Diego told 10News they are not out to hurt the public.
"It's the month of October. It's time to get scared a little bit," said Cali Killa Clowns ringleader Chucklez. "We've been doing this for three days. Obviously, we didn't start it, but we did sort of start it in San Diego."
Chucklez, who wears a white mask with an orange mohawk, said he and 17 of his friends are having fun.
"You're scaring people," said 10News reporter Joe Little.
"Not so much as scaring people," replied Chucklez. "We're walking around, taking pictures in spots that people would recognize. If they happen to see us and get scared, then there's nothing we can do about that."
The Cali Killa Clowns started earlier this week in National City. They took their first pictures in Imperial Beach, and then left a mask in eastern Chula Vista.
"You realize that people think you're bad," said Little.
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"Yeah, absolutely, but I'm not," replied Chucklez. "We usually go to isolated areas and we always bring enough people to where it's safe and enough people that aren't dressed as clowns to make sure that they know this isn't to be taken serious."
Little pressed Chucklez, who was flanked by two other clowns.
"But you're scaring people though. You are scaring people!" said Little.
Chucklez replied, "Yes, but we will never ever harm people. So if scaring people would keep them off the streets in case someone is taking advantage of this clown thing to actually hurt people, then that's sort of a good thing."
On Wednesday night, someone dressed as a clown was recorded running towards a car in Poway. Chucklez said that is not one of the Cali Killa Clowns.
"No, not at all. We wouldn't damage anyone's property and we wouldn't hurt anybody either," he told 10News.
They were impressed the White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest denounced the clown craze in a statement this week, but Chucklez scoffed at it.
"Me walking down the street in a clown costume is no different than me walking down the street in jeans and a T-shirt," he said. "It's Halloween. It's the month to get scared."
