Philadelphia man in 'Chucky' mask accused of terrorizing citizens nabbed in Las Vegas after manhunt
The man accused of terrorizing pedestrians in downtown Philadelphia while wearing a "Chucky"-style mask was arrested in Las Vegas after a multi-state search, the U.S. Marshals Service said.
Zymire Hughes, 22, was taken into custody by The U.S. Marshals Service’s Philadelphia office and the Nevada Violent Offender Task Force, according to the agency. He is currently at the Clark County Detention Center pending extradition to Pennsylvania.
Hughes allegedly fled the Philadelphia area on Aug. 19, flying from Trenton-Mercer Airport in New Jersey to Orlando, Fla., before continuing to Las Vegas, according to FOX5 Vegas, which cited federal authorities.
Marshals said Hughes had been living in Las Vegas since February and maintained work ties in Nevada and California, FOX5 reported. Investigators said he moved between locations to avoid arrest and spent five days hiding at a southeast Las Vegas apartment complex.
Task force officers ultimately located Hughes through surveillance footage from the complex, according to the report. Hughes allegedly questioned the arrest and resisted officers before deputies subdued him.
"Nothing was recovered upon arrest, and he did not make any statements about his motive," the U.S. Marshals office told Fox News.
Philadelphia police had been searching for Hughes in connection with a series of confrontations near City Hall in the early morning hours of Aug. 12. Authorities allege he approached, chased and threatened multiple people while wearing a cracked doll-style mask and recording the encounters on a cellphone.
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In one incident, police said Hughes allegedly asked a 40-year-old female jogger, "Are you ready to die?" while keeping his arm behind his back as though he had a weapon. The woman fled and suffered a leg injury requiring extensive treatment, authorities said.
Hughes was wanted on an active aggravated assault warrant, FOX5 reported. Philadelphia officials had previously said he faced felony and misdemeanor assault charges and was already on probation in an unrelated Montgomery County case.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner had warned Hughes last week that authorities were closing in.
"If Zymire Hughes was trying to scare people, make them run — who’s scared now? Who’s running now?" Krasner said at a news conference.