Two women were allegedly attacked by a man wearing a horror-movie clown mask during the middle of the day on Tuesday in California, authorities said.
According to KTLA, one of the female victims reported having been attacked by a man wearing a clown mask and red sweatshirt after withdrawing money from an ATM in San Bernardino county.
In her statement, the victim described how the suspect robbed her when she was sitting in her vehicle in the parking lot near the ATM. She reported that the man fled the scene after stealing her money.
Officers responded to the call and located a man near the scene who matched the suspect’s description. A 22-year-old male was apprehended by the authorities and identified as Joel Hernandez.
The deputies searched Hernandez’s backpack and discovered a clown mask and a ski mask, as well as $500 in cash that had been stolen.
Mara Rodriguez, the spokesperson for the sheriff’s department, stated that the suspect was carrying a backpack. In that backpack, they discovered the money that was taken from the victim, along with some other items, which helped to identify him as the suspect. In addition, they recovered the plastic clown mask and another ski mask that he was wearing at the time.
Upon detaining Hernandez, investigators discovered that he had allegedly attacked another woman two hours before the robbery took place.
She told deputies that a man wearing a clown mask sexually assaulted and groped her in a grocery store parking lot two miles from the site of the robbery. According to her, the suspect approached her from behind as she stood outside her vehicle.
Police received a detailed statement from the victim and positively identified Hernandez as the individual who attacked her on Tuesday.
“I know that he did approach her from behind while she was at her car, and he basically grabbed her and held her for just a matter of seconds,” Rodriguez said.
KTLA reported that both victims were in their 50s.
Hernandez has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and sexual assault and is being held on $200,000 bail. Hernandez may have attacked other women, according to authorities.