Philadelphia’s Chucky-style masked man arrested in Las Vegas

A man accused of terrorizing at least a half dozen people while wearing a Chucky-style mask near Philadelphia City Hall earlier this month was arrested in Las Vegas, authorities said Tuesday.

Zymire Hughes, 22, was arrested around 8 p.m. in Las Vegas and is being held in the Clark County Detention Center awaiting extradition back to Philadelphia, the U.S. Marshals Service said. 

Hughes allegedly chased and threatened at least six people around City Hall in Center City on Aug. 12 over a roughly 15-minute span, according to police. Investigators claimed Hughes asked one woman if she was “ready to die.”

According to police, the threats began around 5:18 a.m. on Aug. 12 at the intersection of 15th and Chestnut streets. Hughes allegedly ran up to multiple people, attempting to scare and antagonize them, police said.

About two minutes later, police said Hughes entered a Dunkin’ on the 1500 block of Chestnut Street, but he was refused service for wearing the mask. Hughes left and was later seen on camera running toward people at the southwest corner of Penn Square at City Hall around 5:25 a.m.

Police said Hughes then chased a man on the west side of 15th Street and approached a woman jogging at 15th and Market streets. According to police, Hughes stopped in front of the woman and asked her, “Are you ready to die?” The woman took off and injured her leg, police said.

Hughes fled to Suburban Station after the threats, according to police.

Hughes allegedly had a cellphone with the light on and appeared to film the incidents, Philadelphia Police Capt. Jason Smith previously said.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said last week that Hughes is expected to face an aggravated assault charge in addition to other counts because one of the victims was hurt while trying to run away from him.

Krasner said last week that Hughes had ties to California and Nevada.