Authorities in Las Vegas said late Tuesday they took into custody a man who wore a Halloween-style mask resembling the horror movie character “Chucky” as he menaced people on the streets of Philadelphia this month.
The U.S. Marshals Service arrested Zymire Hughes, 22, around 8 p.m. Tuesday. He faces charges of aggravated assault, terroristic threats, harassment and intimidation linked to encounters with at least 15 people.
Philadelphia police said Mr. Hughes approached a female jogger and asked, “Are you ready to die?” before chasing her. She fell and suffered injuries to her leg and back.
“Tonight, the fear that one man brought to the Philadelphia community comes to an end,” Robert Clark, a supervisory deputy for the U.S. Marshals Service, said at a news conference. “By hiding behind a Chucky-style Halloween mask, Hughes terrorized Philadelphia residents and believed he could evade law enforcement. He was wrong.”
Officials said they believe Mr. Hughes carried out the encounters to seek attention on social media.
Investigators said Mr. Hughes left Philadelphia on Aug. 19, flying from Trenton, New Jersey, to Orlando, Florida, before heading to Las Vegas.
Mr. Hughes had been living with a girlfriend in Las Vegas since February, but he moved to a different apartment after authorities publicly linked him to the masked assailant.
Mr. Clark said Mr. Hughes seemed confused about his arrest and tried to slip out of his handcuffs. Authorities said a Marshal subdued him shortly afterward.
At the Southeast Las Vegas apartment complex where Mr. Hughes was arrested, a city police officer guarded the door of the unit where he was staying.
Many residents said Mr. Hughes did not stand out or make much of an impression.
Mike Blackmon, who lived in the same building where Mr. Hughes was staying, expressed shock that the accused “Chucky” marauder was a neighbor.
“I had been following that case. Man, I can’t believe he was here,” Mr. Blackmon told The Washington Times.
He said he just saw Mr. Hughes sitting on the steps early Monday.
“Just sitting on the steps. Staring out. Looked like a random person just sitting there. He didn’t look suspicious. A lot of the time people sit there to relieve pressure or whatever,” he said.
During his Philadelphia spree, Mr. Hughes targeted at least 15 people, including six within 15 minutes near City Hall on Aug. 12.
Around 5 a.m., Mr. Hughes approached a crouching man, who put his hands up in a “pleading motion” upon seeing the masked intruder.
Police said Mr. Hughes accosted others while trying to scare or antagonize them and held a phone to record their reactions. At one point, he went into a Dunkin’, but an employee turned him away because he was acting “erratic.”
After leaving the restaurant, Mr. Hughes sprinted toward pedestrians and chased a man wearing a reflective vest.
Police said Mr. Hughes jumped in front of and threatened the female jogger around 5:30 a.m. on Aug. 12. The 40-year-old woman ran away and screamed for help before she fell.
SEPTA transit officers saw Mr. Hughes and told him to remove the mask, authorities said. He complied but was wearing a medical mask underneath that shielded his identity.
The SEPTA officers gave chase to Mr. Hughes, but he evaded them and boarded a bus. He was back at his apartment by 6 a.m., police said.
Mr. Hughes is being held in the Clark County Jail in Las Vegas while he awaits extradition to Philadelphia.
• Jeff Mordock contributed to this report from Las Vegas.
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