A man dressed in Ku Klux Klan attire scared three black children playing basketball Sunday night in Savage, and Howard County police are investigating whether he might be responsible for a rash of "KKK" graffiti.

"At this point, no crime has been committed," said Sgt. Morris Carroll, a police spokesman. "But it might mean this person is responsible" for the graffiti, which was recently cleaned from several buildings.

"The KKK graffiti, now certainly that is a crime," Carroll said.

About 7: 20 p.m. Sunday, the children were playing basketball in the 8800 block of Lincoln St. when a man who wore a white robe and pointed hat emerged from nearby woods, police said. The robe was embroidered with images of burning crosses, the children told police.

The man then scared one of the children by saying, "You better run, girl."

Pub Date: 6/15/99