Popular horror literature came to life yesterday when three men dressed as clowns attempted to kidnap a 7-year-old girl in Nezahualcóyotl, México state.

According to initial reports the clowns used a motorcycle to intercept the girl in the Palmas neighborhood, grabbed her and sped off. The girl’s mother’s desperate pleas for help were quickly answered by neighbors who blocked the men’s route just a short distance ahead.

Arriving on the scene, police arrested the three clowns and turned them in for processing. Among the criminals’ confiscated possessions, authorities discovered a cell phone with a message to an additional party that said they were on their way with the “package.”

The three men, who were identified as Ángel Iván, 24, Ulises Leonardo, 25 and Gerardo Arturo, 35 were brought before a public prosecutor, who will define the charges they face.

Source: Milenio (sp)