Teen prank or seriously whacked marketing campaign?

It walks sideways and wears a pointy hat. It terrorizes children. It's more horrifying than the Loch Ness Monster - and just as believable.

Teenager. Jose Alvarez, who lives in General Guemes, the province of Salta, Argentina, says he's scared Creepy Gnomewitless by a gnome he saw roaming the streets in the wee hours of the morning. Apparently, Jose and some friends were chatting about their last fishing trip when they heard noises nearby.

"To begin with we thought it was a dog but when we saw this gnome-like figure begin to emerge we were really afraid. I filmed a little and soon all we left running." said Jose.

Other residents are beginning to come forward as well, voicing their fear of their pint-sized local monster. One of the boys was so startled he needed to be taken to the hospital, where he sadly found out there is no cure for stupidity.

Don't believe us? Watch the clip and see for yourself. Make sure all the lights are in the house first - we don't need any more hospitalizations from this gnome.

Travelocity scam or teenage prank, it's put General Guemes in Argentina on the global radar. Wonder if there any good restaurants there...?