A teenage girl says she was pursued through her neighborhood by a person wearing a Cat in the Hat costume, and police in Canada are now looking for that individual. The search is ongoing, with investigators seeking information about the suspect’s identity and whereabouts.
On August 24, the event took place around 9 PM in the 2000 block of Shamrock Drive in West Kelowna, British Columbia. The young woman got back to her home without harm, per the West Kelowna RCMP, which declined to provide further information. The force has put out video from a security camera showing the masked person looking straight ahead.
Now investigators are working to figure out who was inside the costume and what took place.
The RCMP investigation
Costumes themselves are not against the law, but following someone in a manner that makes them fear for their safety could count as criminal harassment, according to police. Officials may also look at possible charges such as assault, uttering threats or intimidation.
“Regardless of whether the individual intended the behavior as a joke, following a young person and causing them to fear for their safety is extremely concerning,” Cpl. Gerrits said.
“People should understand that behavior intended as a prank can have serious consequences when it causes another person to reasonably fear for their safety.”
Investigators are requesting that people who may have relevant doorbell, security, or dashcam footage from the area come forward with any information they might have. Online posts featuring a cat in a hat continue to spread, though police have made no connection between the West Kelowna pursuit and that trend.
The online trend
During August, officials in the UK and Ireland had to address a fabricated AI-generated picture of a menacing take on the Dr. Seuss character appearing near houses. The visuals and clips were frequently altered to look like footage from doorbell cameras, which caused some people to think a person dressed up was walking around their streets.
In the US, similar posts have now emerged, some of them aimed at schools and particular communities. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office in Florida has said it is looking into local posts, though it has found no credible threat so far. In Kentucky, a minor was reportedly charged over content connected to the trend.
The alert comes after earlier warnings about an AI homeless man prank that prompted emergency calls from alarmed parents.
Interest in the character has also spread beyond AI content. Streamer Natalie Reynolds recently claimed that Mike Myers’ soul was trapped inside a $25,000 Cat in the Hat costume allegedly used during production of the 2003 movie.
The hunt for the masked person is still underway, and investigators are urging anyone with information to step forward.
Source: dexerto.com
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