The young girl was apparently so frightened by the mask that she fled to a nearby car and jumped inside.
YOUNGSTOWN, OH — An Ohio man who says he was trying to punish his daughter without spanking her is now being charged with inducing panic after he scared her using a killer clown mask.
Police say 25-year-old Vernon Barrett Jr. put on the clown mask and began chasing his 6-year-old daughter Saturday night, according to the Washington Post. Barrett Jr. allegedly began chasing the girl outside of their apartment shortly before 10 p.m.
The young girl was apparently so frightened by the mask that she fled to a nearby car and jumped inside where she told a woman in the car she was being chased by a clown. Barrett arrived at the car and removed the girl from inside, while still wearing the mask.
The woman in the car called police, but before they arrived, the girl ran away from her dad again and to a neighbor’s apartment. That neighbor, Dion Santiago, said the girl was frightened and that he observed Barrett outside of the apartment still wearing the clown mask.
Satiago allegedly grabber his gun and fired a shot but it was not clear whether or not he shot at Barrett directly.
When police arrived, they found the two men arguing with one another as Barrett was still wearing the mask and the girl would not come outside. Police eventually determined what happened before arresting and charging Barrett with charged with child endangerment and inducing panic.
Santiago was charged with using weapons while intoxicated.
The girl was placed in the custody of Barrett’s girlfriend.
Coincidentially, the girl’s mother is currently in prison for child endangerment after she was convicted of stepping on the girl and breaking her ribs. Because of the past physical abuse issues, it appears Barrett was trying to find a different way to punish his child aside from physical punishment.
“Barrett said due to this he cannot discipline his daughter and reported they have been having behavior problems with J. B. at school and home,” read a portion of the police report. “Barrett said that he decided to use the clown mask into scaring her to behave” but that the ‘prank’ got out of hand.”
