On the night of September 19th, at approximately three in the morning, a man who was wearing a full-face, white clown mask was spotted on doorbell video cameras lurking outside of two homes in the M-section of Rohnert Park. 

The city’s Department of Public Safety started investigating the suspicious acts following the night they occurred, but there have not yet been conclusive developments on who the creepy man is.

First, the clown approached the doorstep of the Emerald Pointe Apartment Complex on Camino Colegio Street, then would go on to show up at the front door of a household on Miramonte Place seven minutes later. 

In both doorbell videos, the man appears to stand in front of the door for a few moments, and then departs from the residence without attempting to break in or damage anything.

The incident transpired in  Rohnert Park and the nearby Sonoma State University community as a random yet horrifying joke that someone had been playing on the residents of the Rohnert Park M-section, especially since there are still no leads on who the mysterious and clownish figure is.

This unexpected occurrence provided a scare in this residential area of Sonoma County, but with Halloween approaching steadily, the frightening event may seem more excitingly seasonal than inappropriate in the coming month.

During October, especially on Halloween night, parents and children alike tend to let their guards down when seeing disturbing or unsettling things about strangers–even if they are wearing a bloody mask or a clown face from a movie. While this masked doorbell vigilante posed little danger to these residential homes, there are times when situations like this can lead to horrible events that many are unprepared for. 

Specifically, in 2012, a 24-year-old woman by the name of Michela Woodridge was murdered on the night of October 31st in Santa Rosa by a man who was extremely high on LSD after he left a Halloween party. 

Dangerous occurrences on Halloween night can sometimes be overlooked because of the  mischievous and spooky aura of the holiday, as well as the creepy costumes many children and adults sport. However, the possibility of disaster is still quite high, which can be seen in the tragic and sudden death of Woodridge.

So, to protect one another this coming Halloween and avoid unwanted and scary situations, there are a plethora of ways that people in our communities can protect themselves this coming Halloween season and keep their guard up with their friends and family.

There are many different ways to protect you and your friends this Halloween. For example, travel in groups or at least, in pairs. This will lessen the chances of harassment and attacks. Also, if there is a shady or suspicious person, trust your gut feeling and avoid the person, and do not draw attention to yourself or your group. 

A reminder of other ways to keep safe is to check your Halloween candy for any suspicious packaging. Additionally, with the recent news of a new candy-like drug on the market, be aware of “Rainbow Fentanyl” which has recently been found by police in California and Pennsylvania.

The pills tend to have these candy-like qualities about them:

• Bright
• Fun-colored 
• small
• circular-shaped

If you attend a Halloween celebration or party, cover your drink and do not leave it unattended. Be sure to give any close friends or family your location in case of an emergency. Ways to do this is by setting up a Life360 or sharing location via location sharing on iPhone.

One very important note to remember is that all of Sonoma County has the text 911 feature. This means that if you are in a situation where you need help and cannot speak out loud, you can text a dispatcher and keep your presence more discreet than being on a phone call.

Between the recent sightings of a man wearing a clown face mask or the acknowledgment of Rainbow Fentanyl being spread throughout the drug markets, it is important to realize the dangers that can spring up during the Halloween season. However, a majority of people still wish to have fun on the spookiest night of the year and get the thrill of being scared (yet safe). So, be aware of your surroundings during this coming holiday, and understand that not every stranger on this scary night is harmless and looking for fun–they may be looking for something much more sinister.