Nevada Arrests Suspect in Philadelphia Masked Harassment Case
A 22-year-old man accused of chasing and threatening people in Philadelphia while wearing a Halloween-style mask was captured by U.S. Marshals in Las Vegas and will be extradited to Pennsylvania.
U.S. Marshals arrested 22-year-old Zymire Hughes in Las Vegas on Tuesday, pending extradition to Pennsylvania, authorities said. Hughes is being held at the Clark County Detention Center after a Nevada Violent Offender Task Force operation.
Philadelphia police reported that Hughes entered Center City early on Aug. 15, confronting as many as 15 or 16 pedestrians while wearing a distinctive “Chucky doll-style” Halloween mask. The first encounter was recorded at about 5:01 a.m. near 10th and Chestnut streets, and the incidents continued until shortly before 6 a.m. near City Hall and SEPTA’s Suburban Station.
"Are you ready to die?" Hughes allegedly asked a woman jogging near City Hall, prompting her to flee and sustain a serious leg injury, police said.
Surveillance footage shows Hughes entering Suburban Station around 5:35 a.m.; SEPTA police asked him to remove the mask, but he attempted to conceal his identity and later boarded a Route 33 bus, traveling to the 23rd and Venango area where he reportedly resides. Investigators believe his actions were motivated by a desire for social-media attention.
Hughes faces charges that include terroristic threats, harassment, simple assault and intimidation. He has ties to California and Nevada through employment.