He chased his little girl in a clown mask to scare her. Then a neighbor fired a gun, cops say

One Ohio man’s plot to “discipline” his 6-year-old daughter by chasing her around the neighborhood in a clown mask ended with his little girl jumping into a stranger’s car, a neighbor firing his gun and a pair of arrests, police say.

Vernon Barrett Jr., from Boardman, Ohio, told police that he decided to chase his terrified girl around the neighborhood while wearing a clown mask Saturday night because she had been behaving badly, according to WKBN27.

He told police that he didn’t want to spank his daughter because her mother is already in jail for breaking four of the girl’s ribs, according to police.

The girl, screaming about a clown chasing her, jumped in a stranger’s car as her disguised father sped after her, according to Fox6.

That’s when Dion Santiago, a neighbor who heard the commotion, allegedly came outside of his apartment and fired a gunshot into the ground, according to WKBN27.

Barrett, who was still wearing the clown mask, was not hit by the bullet, police said.

The two men were arrested. Barrett was charged with child endangerment and inducing panic, while Santiago was charged with using weapons while intoxicated, according to Fox6.

This story was originally published September 18, 2017 at 9:07 AM with the headline "He chased his little girl in a clown mask to scare her. Then a neighbor fired a gun, cops say."