Authorities in Las Vegas said late Tuesday they took into custody a man who wore a Halloween-style mask of the horror movie character Chucky as he menaced people on the streets of Philadelphia this month.
The U.S. Marshals Service announced the arrest of Zymire Hughes, 22, around 8 p.m. Tuesday on charges of aggravated assault, terroristic threats, harassment and intimidation in connection to the encounters with at least 15 people.
Philadelphia police said he approached one female jogger and asked her “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 Tuesday night during a press conference.
“By hiding behind a Chucky-style Halloween mask, Hughes terrorized Philadelphia residents and believed he could evade law enforcement. He was wrong,” Mr. Clark added.
Investigators said Mr. Hughes left Philadelphia on Aug. 19 and flew from Trenton, New Jersey, to Orlando, Florida, before catching a flight to Las Vegas.
Mr. Hughes had been living with a girlfriend in Las Vegas since February, but he moved to a different apartment after his identity was linked to the masked Chucky suspect, authorities said.
Mr. Clark said the suspect seemed confused about his arrest and tried to slip out of his handcuffs. Authorities said a marshal subdued the suspect shortly afterward.
Officials said they believe Mr. Hughes’ actions were motivated by wanting social media attention.
He allegedly targeted more than a dozen people during a spree in Philadelphia. Police said he threatened at least six people within a 15-minute period near Philadelphia City Hall on Aug. 12.
Investigators said Mr. Hughes approached the first victim, a man, around 5 a.m. while the victim was crouching. The victim put his hands up in a “pleading motion” when he spotted the masked suspect.
Police said Mr. Hughes accosted other victims while trying to scare or antagonize them and held a phone in his hand to record their reactions. At one point, he went into a Dunkin’, but an employee turned him away because he was acting “erratic.”
Police said the suspect sprinted toward victims after leaving the Dunkin’, including chasing a man wearing a reflective vest.
Police said Mr. Hughes jumped in front of and threatened a female jogger around 5:30 a.m. on Aug. 12. The 40-year-old victim 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 COVID-mask underneath that shielded his identity.
The SEPTA officers ran after Mr. Hughes, but he evaded them and boarded a bus. He was back at his apartment by 6 a.m.
Mr. Hughes is being held in the Clark County jail in Las Vegas while he awaits extradition to Philadelphia.
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