People dressed as evil clowns and roaming through towns in the middle of the night are causing a stir in California's San Joaquin Valley.

The latest after-dark sighting came Saturday night, when police in Bakersfield responded about 8 p.m. to a report of a clown holding a firearm, according to The Bakersfield Californian.

Officers searched but didn't find anyone.

People dressed as clowns are causing a stir in California's San Joaquin Valley. Here, a clown is seen in Wasco, between San Francisco and Los Angeles

What would you do if you were walking down the street and ran into one of these creepy masked men?

Some residents in Wasco follow social media to know when the next clown appearance will be so they can find these masked weirdos

Police there say this isn't the first time they've had to deal with dressed-up people clowning around.

'We've had multiple of these clown sightings all over town,' Lt. Jason Matson, of the Bakersfield PD, told The Californian. 'He was gone by the time we arrived.'

The San Joaquin Valley has been ground zero for evil clown appearances.

In Wasco, some 30 miles away, 1 local residents have reported sightings of clowns since October 1.

Props and costumes change routinely, leading some Wasco residents to believe there is a menacing gang of bandits dressing up like the clowns from everyone's nightmares.

'I just seen him about three times already,' Anthony Garza, of Wasco, told KGET. 'But yeah—he's creepy.'

Some brave souls have stayed tuned to social media, where locals report any sightings of the clown—— then go out hunting for the devilish creature once he's spotted.

'Some of the residents go in cars searching for him,' Noah Sanchez told KGET. 'They have flashlights and try and spot him in neighborhoods after he posts to Twitter.'

Nobody really knows who the clowns are. Some people think it's one person, others say it's several.

'Yesterday they were saying there were two, then they were trying to say like seven, but I don't know,' Kevin Cabello told KGET.

A mysterious clown stands near a home in Wasco, California, as the creepy trend spreads

Despite the bizarre clown sightings, local cops say they haven't been involved in any criminal activity

Locals have mixed feelings about the clowns.

One child says he was chased down the street with an ax, KGET reports.

A deputy with the Kern County Sheriff's Office told the station that there have been reports of crimes committed in the neighborhood by people in clown costumes.

But so far, none of the clowns has been actually linked to any crimes.

'We have had no reports of any assaults by a clown nor have we any arrests of any clowns at any time I have been here and I have been here two years,' Sgt. Ian Chandler told KGET.

Despite creeping plenty of people out, the stunt strikes some locals — specially those searching for the clowns — as a big Halloween joke.

'It's kinda fun though to get us in the Halloween spirit and all of us in the community,' Sanchez told KGET.

Some residents in Wasco say the clowns are a great joke that is getting the town into the Halloween spirit

Some locals have turned the weird appearances into minor celebrities, chasing reported sightings all around town to take a picture with the clowns

One local Wasco resident, who requested anonymity, told KGET that he dressed up as the clown as part of a a year-long photography project with his wife.

He told the station he didn't 'expect to start a trend, and did not mean to cause any harm.'

The couple plans on posting more pictures on their social media accounts throughout October.