Philadelphia police have identified the man accused of terrorizing pedestrians near City Hall while wearing a “Chucky”-style Halloween mask, issuing an arrest warrant as authorities warn he may have already left the state.
Zymire Hughes, 22, is wanted in connection with a string of incidents beginning Aug. 12, when police say he threatened and chased at least a half-dozen people around City Hall, at one point asking a woman if she was “ready to die.” Authorities believe Mr. Hughes may have fled Pennsylvania and has ties to California and Nevada, and the department is working with the U.S. Marshals Service to bring him back.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner addressed the case directly at a Thursday news conference, telling reporters, “You think it’s funny to scare people? Well, get ready to get scared.” Mr. Krasner went on to warn that the city has handcuffs, a jail cell and a jury waiting for the suspect, and that Philadelphia would not find the episode amusing.
Philadelphia Police Capt. Jason Smith, addressing an earlier briefing on the case, said the encounters happened directly outside City Hall and that investigators were determined to track the individual down. Surveillance footage allegedly shows Mr. Hughes running up to bystanders throughout the area. Police said a Dunkin’ location refused him service while he was wearing the mask and behaving erratically, and he left after the confrontation. Investigators said the masked man was not believed to be armed but appeared to be recording the encounters with a cellphone in one hand.
One woman confronted by the masked man, identified by Fox News as Jameka Wilson, said she drew on stage combat training from her time at the University of the Arts to read the attacker’s body language before delivering a kick that sent him fleeing.
“Boom, right into the center of the chest,” Ms. Wilson said, according to Fox News. She said the man appeared surprised when she turned to face him rather than run, and that he had left himself open to attack before she struck.
Police describe the suspect as a Black male with a medium complexion, standing about 5-foot-8 with a thin build, last seen wearing a white Chucky-style Halloween mask with black hair and carrying a black-and-blue plaid backpack. Mr. Hughes could face charges including terroristic threats, harassment, simple assault and intimidation once he is taken into custody.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or contact the U.S. Marshals Service.
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