Indian Trail man wearing clown makeup, carrying hatchet arrested

INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. — An Indian Trail man was arrested Sunday after police said he was seen at a convenience store with his face painted as a clown and carrying a backpack.

Union County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the Wilco convenience store on Chamber Drive for a suspicious person at 5:45 p.m, after a clerk at the convenience store called 911.

“We have had a person come in dressed as a clown twice and he’s starting to scare my customer,” the clerk said.

The man was described wearing dark clothing, wearing a toboggan and had clown paint on his face.

“It looked like a joker face,” the clerk said.

“Are you or anyone else in immediate danger,” the 911 dispatcher asked.

“No,” the clerk said.

Listen to full 911 call here: 

When deputies arrived, the man was gone. A short time later they were able to locate Travis Pressley, 20, who matched the description, nearby.

Deputies said Pressley was carrying a backpack with a small amount of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a hatchet.

Channel 9 asked the Union County Sheriff’s Office why Pressley had his face painted like a clown.

“He told them he was on his way to scare some friends when he stopped in the store to get some cigarettes along the way. That’s when he frightened the clerks and they called 911,” said Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Underwood.

Pressley was arrested on suspicion of second-degree trespassing, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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