Niagara police investigate after man in clown mask assaults 9-year-old boy

Niagara police are investigating an assault in the Western Hill area of St. Catharines.

Police say on Oct. 9 at around 8:10 a.m., officers responded to an assault in the area of Pelham Street and St. Paul Crescent and met with a nine-year-old boy and their parent.

Investigators say that the nine-year-old was walking northbound on Pelham Road between Rykert Street and Antwerp Street when an unknown man wearing a clown mask approached him and grabbed his arm and pulled.

Police say the man said “your mom sent me, I have candy for you.” The boy then struck the man twice and was able to run to a safe place to call his parent.

Police searched the area for the man, but did not find him. He is described as a black male, 6’3″-6’4″ feet tall, chubby/muscular build, bald, with a deep low-pitched voice. He was wearing short dark pants, no shirt, two different types of sandals and a painted black Halloween clown mask. The victim says the man is homeless.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 905-688-4111, option 3, extension 1009964.