North Carolina Woman Attacked by Ax-Wielding Clown

Nightmares can come true: a woman in North Carolina told police she was attacked in her home by an ax-wielding clown.

The victim told the police in Hickory, N.C. that a person wearing a clown mask and a multicolored wig had come by her residence at 4:30 a.m. Friday morning and began to swing his ax at her.

The victim was able to take the mask off the attacker and discover that it was an acquaintance of hers, who then fled the scene. She was not injured in the incident.

Hickory Police Department spokesperson Chrystal Dieter told TIME that there was an “outstanding warrant” against the suspect.

“Any law enforcement officer who comes in contact with the suspect in question will have full ability to arrest him,” Dieter said.

Dieter could not recall any previous cases of attackers masquerading as clowns. But the Hickory attacker would not be the first person to draw on the cultural image of the “creepy clown.” The town of Northampton, England has previously reported sightings of an individual dressed as the clown who roamed the streets and scared citizens.