LACKAWANNA COUNTY -- The creepy clown craze is certainly no laughing matter for a clown from Carbondale. She hasn't had a gig in more than a month. And this is happening at the same time she is trying to recover from crime against her including her clown car that was stolen.
JoJo the Clown is somewhat of a local legend in Lackawanna County. She doesn't know what could have possibly motivated a 19-year-old man to steal her clown car.
After he was arrested in Scranton last week, JoJo thought she got all of her belongings back.
She soon noticed something very important was missing.
JoJo's clown car might not be the best kind of car to steal. It's emblazoned with bright balloons and advertisements for JoJo's clown business.
That's what Joann Jordan thought when she saw her car being stolen outside her Carbondale home.
"I go running down the steps and I see my car go flying up the street!" Joann told Newswatch 16 Thursday.
It's the first in a comedy of errors for the clown.
After a chase through Scranton, officers caught the alleged clown car thief, Pedro Santiago. He is charged with theft and fleeing police.
JoJo's purse and credit cards were recovered. What was missing though was much more valuable, a token of her 35-year career as a clown.
She showed Newswatch 16 old photos of JoJo with her long time sidekick "Jingles", a monkey puppet that was in the back of her clown car. JoJo noticed Jingles was missing shortly after she got her stolen car back.
"He`s not here anymore, I don`t know what they did with him, I don`t know why they took him on me. But, of all the things to take, you know?" she said.
She's also missing a collection of face paints. Begging the question, with a clown car full of valuables, why the clown supplies were the only things stolen.
JoJo's since searched the side of every road between Carbondale and Scranton hoping to spot Jingles there.
"What bothers me is a lot of kids know him, because I bring him to birthday parties and a lot of people know him...I just wish that they bring him back and I would be so happy. I know he`s inanimate but he`s like part of me. My energy`s on him," JoJo added.
The accused thief, Pedro Santiago of Scranton, has not accounted for the missing items. He's locked up and due back in court next month.
But, JoJo the Clown said if someone knows where Jingles might be, she will accept him back no questions asked.