In a startling revelation, a Philadelphia actor has shared the harrowing tale of facing down a man donning a Chucky mask. The masked individual allegedly caused panic among pedestrians, chasing them down the street. Speaking exclusively to Oxygen, the actor opened up about confronting this bizarre and alarming threat.
Jameka Wilson had just exited a trolley near the bustling City Hall on the morning of August 12, when she noticed an unsettling sight. A masked figure was closing in on a woman who seemed oblivious to the world around her, engrossed in her phone with earbuds plugged in.
Determined to avert danger, Wilson raised her voice to alert the woman, prompting her to glance up and flee. Undeterred, the masked man quickly shifted his attention to another passerby, this time targeting an individual carrying a box. According to Wilson, this person dashed toward a nearby coffee shop with the masked figure on their heels.
Once the individual reached safety inside the café and secured the door, Wilson began to make her own escape. However, she soon realized that the masked suspect had turned his focus to her.
“I was carrying several bags—a purse and a tote,” Wilson explained. “I decided to confront him because I was worried he might grab me by my straps,” she recounted, describing her split-second decision to face the masked pursuer head-on.
Wilson turned to face the man—prepared for a fight and looking for any indication that he might be carrying a weapon—and noticed he appeared to be holding a phone, which he may have been using to record the encounter.
Wilson then kicked him in the chest.
“He seemed immediately confused,” they said. “I don’t think he was expecting that behavior.”
Wilson, a 2023 graduate of the now-closed University of the Arts, said stage-combat training helped in the moment. Although the training is designed to keep scene partners safe, Wilson said its grounding in martial arts and weaponry gave practical knowledge to draw on.
Wilson believes the man intended to harm people but felt his ultimate goal was unclear.
“I feel like he had the intent to harm,” Wilson said. “But he didn’t have the training or the full audacity, honestly.”
Philadelphia Police identified the suspect as Zymire Hughes and said he is wanted in connection with the alleged incident. Police previously said a man in what they described as a “Chucky doll Halloween-style face mask” ran up to and frightened several people that morning.
One 40-year-old jogger was allegedly chased by the suspect, who police said asked her, “Are you ready to die?” The jogger fell and was injured, authorities said.
Wilson’s message to Hughes was simple: “They’re gonna find you.”