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Who is Zymire Hughes? Philly police identify 'Chucky' masked man accused of terrorizing City Hall area
Philadelphia police have identified 22-year-old Zymire Hughes as the masked man who chased and threatened people near City Hall.
A masked man allegedly turned an early morning walk through Philadelphia’s Center City into a frightening situation, chasing and threatening several people before police identified 22-year-old Zymire Hughes as the suspect.
Who is Zymire Hughes
Philadelphia police identified a masked man who they say harassed, chased and threatened several people near City Hall, including a woman he allegedly asked if she was “ready to die.”
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On Thursday, August 20, police identified the suspect as 22-year-old Zymire Hughes, as per NBC News. Investigators said there is a warrant for his arrest. They also said he may have fled Pennsylvania and has ties to California and Nevada.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Hughes, police announced on Thursday.
What happened near City Hall
The incident took place over a 15-minute span in the early morning hours of Wednesday, August 12, according to Philadelphia Police Captain Jason Smith.
The suspect, who Captain Smith said was wearing a "Chucky doll Halloween-style facemask," was first spotted on 15th and Chestnut streets that morning at 5:18am local time. Police said he was running up to people trying to scare or antagonize them while holding a cellphone in his hand, indicating he was filming his actions, as per NBC News.
Capt. Smith said there are believed to be at least six people that the suspect was running up to and "attempting to scare or antagonize" while wearing a "distinctive Chucky doll Halloween-style face mask," as per ABC News.
Masked man allegedly threatens jogger
In one instance captured on surveillance video, Smith said the masked suspect chased a female jogger whom he allegedly asked, “Are you ready to die?” The victim ran away screaming for help, injuring her leg during the ordeal, according to Smith.
Smith said the masked individual was seen holding a cellphone in his left hand and appeared to film the interactions “for his own purposes.” He was captured pulling the white mask down, exposing part of his face, with police releasing the image earlier this week while attempting to identify him, as per ABC News.
Timeline of the incident
According to the NBC news, here is the complete timeline of the incident:
The suspect then entered a Dunkin' at 15th and Chestnut streets at 5:20am but was refused service because he had the mask on, police said.
He left the store and was then spotted at the southwest corner of 15th Street and South Penn Square at 5:25am, running up to more people in an attempt to scare them, as per investigators.
At 5:28am, the suspect walked northbound on 15th Street, crossed the street and stopped at 15th and Market streets on the sidewalk in front of Dilworth Plaza, police said. He then began chasing after a man wearing a reflective vest.
At 5:33am, he began chasing a woman jogging on the east side of 15th Street, in the incident that was captured on video. He then went on the escalators at Suburban Station at 5:35am, police said.
Prior to identifying him, police said the suspect would face charges including terroristic threats, harassment and simple assault.
