Pennywise may be fictional, but one Maryland family says a man living in Baltimore County’s storm drains has been frightening children in the neighborhood.
A Baltimore mother claims the unidentified man has taunted her children and chased them down the street after emerging from the underground drainage system.
Unique Wiggins initially questioned her children’s reports that a man lurking below the streets was harassing them, WJZ reported.
After hearing repeated complaints, however, Wiggins decided to investigate the situation herself.
“It was a Friday, and my daughter, who is 21, called and she was panicking. And I asked, ‘What’s wrong?’ And she said, ‘Mom, I’m scared. The man told me I can’t walk right here and to just dip.’ And I’m like, ‘What man?’ And she was like, ‘The man in the sewer,’” Wiggins told the outlet.
Wiggins said she approached a nearby opening and heard someone singing. “So I’m like, ‘Yo, yo, you,’ and he’s like, ‘What?’ And I said, ‘Leave my f–king kids alone,’” she recalled of her confrontation with the unidentified man.
“And he said, ‘No, tell them to leave me alone.’ And I said, ‘They can’t possibly be messing with you, and you are in the sewer,’” Wiggins said.
According to Wiggins, the man later chased her children down the street, prompting her to contact police.
The mother said officers told her that sewers and culverts are public property, making it difficult to remove the man from the underground space where he was staying.
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“I don’t feel like I’m protected. I don’t feel like my kids are protected. I’m not saying this gentleman should necessarily go to jail, but he should not live in the sewer. He should not be able to be down there,” Wiggins said.
Wiggins urged county officials to take additional steps to protect children and other residents from what she described as an ongoing disturbance beneath the neighborhood.
“They can put a no trespassing sign there. They can put a no trespassing sign, and they can cover the holes. That’s what I would like to see. I would like Baltimore County to make me feel like I am a member of this community,” she said.
The Baltimore County Police Department told The Post that officers arrested the man on July 26, but he was released on his own recognizance. Police said a “peace order” unrelated to the July case had been obtained earlier this month and served on him Thursday.
Police also said they offered the man assistance, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Following complaints, officers installed a no-trespassing sign at a storm drain. Authorities emphasized that “no manhole is involved.”
“The County has worked diligently to offer available services to this subject. Additionally, a no-trespassing sign has been put in place. Baltimore County will continue coordinating public safety efforts and outreach,” a department spokesperson said.
Baltimore County Housing and Development told the outlet that “Every person deserves to be safe and treated with dignity, including people experiencing homelessness and behavioral health challenges.”
“Baltimore County is committed to helping residents navigate resources and services, especially in time of need,” the department said. Officials provided hotlines for shelter and eviction-prevention assistance at 410-887-8463, as well as the county’s crisis response team at 410-931-2214.
“Baltimore County will continue to work with our partners within government and in the community,” officials said.
Police said the man is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
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