A man accused of causing chaos in downtown Philadelphia last week by donning a chilling Chucky-style mask may now be lurking in the Los Angeles area, according to law enforcement sources.
Identified as Zymire Hughes, the 22-year-old has significant work and personal connections to LA, and authorities believe he might already have made his way there, as FOX Los Angeles reported.
Surveillance cameras captured footage of Hughes packing a suitcase and leaving his apartment complex earlier this week, the news outlet disclosed. Given his frequent trips between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, investigators suspect he might be in the vicinity.
The suspect, known only by his masked alter ego, is officially recognized as 22-year-old Zymire Hughes. An active arrest warrant has been issued by law enforcement. (Philadelphia Police Department)
Despite these efforts, officials have yet to pinpoint his location. Hughes is currently sought after by both the Philadelphia Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Law enforcement agencies in Southern California and Nevada were monitoring transportation stations and following up on any reported sightings of Hughes.
Hughes was identified Thursday as the masked suspect who allegedly approached, chased and threatened several people in the early morning hours of Aug. 12 in Philadelphia while filming the strange encounters on a cellphone.
He was on probation and now faces felony and misdemeanor assault charges from last week’s incident.
A side-by-side image released by police shows a suspect wearing a “Chucky-style” mask and surveillance footage of him allegedly pursuing a victim near Philadelphia’s City Hall. (Philadelphia Police Department)
In one incident, Hughes allegedly asked a 40-year-old female jogger: “Are you ready to die?” while holding his hand behind his back, prompting her to flee. She sustained a leg injury that will require extensive treatment, police said.
“Zymire Hughes was trying to scare people, make them run. Who’s scared now? Who’s running now?” Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said during a news conference Thursday.
“He’s a punk. I mean, that’s the bottom line. He’s a punk who scared a lot of people for no good reason, and we’re not going to tolerate it.”
Investigators said they believe Hughes may have been trying to create social media content in an effort to monetize it.
“There wasn’t an attempt by himself to lay hands on anyone,” Philadelphia Police Capt. Jason Smith said Thursday.
“He didn’t brandish any weapon, although, in the case of the jogger, he did have his right arm behind his back, implying that he had a weapon. But at no point in time did he furnish a weapon.”