Police Identify Man Accused of Terrorizing People in Philadelphia While Wearing Chucky Mask

The man accused of terrorizing multiple people in Philadelphia while wearing a Chucky mask and asking a jogger if she was “ready to die” has been identified by police.

Zymire Hughes, 22, is wanted on an active arrest warrant after he allegedly confronted at least six people near City Hall in Center City on August 12, Philadelphia police announced Thursday.

Hughes may have fled Pennsylvania and has ties to California and Nevada.

The U.S. Marshals Service is assisting in the search and working to return Hughes to Philadelphia. The suspect could face charges including harassment, terroristic threats, simple assault, reckless endangerment and intimidation, Philadelphia Police Capt. Jason Smith said Monday.

The creepy encounters began last Wednesday around 5:18 a.m. when a man dressed in dark clothing and wearing a Halloween-style Chucky doll mask was captured on surveillance footage approaching people on the street. Police said the incidents continued for about 20 minutes, with the masked man apparently attempting to frighten or antagonize people.

One encounter involved a 40-year-old female jogger near 15th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. Hughes allegedly approached her while holding his cellphone toward her and repeatedly asked, “Are you ready to die?” He then chased her as she screamed for help.

“The female is screaming for help this entire time,” Smith said Monday, according to 6abc Action News. The man eventually stopped, headed north on 15th Street and entered Suburban Station via the escalators.

Smith said the jogger was the only person to have formally reported an encounter as of Monday, even though investigators believe the suspect had confronted at least six people.

One witness said the encounter seemed like “some twisted game” to the masked suspect.

“He starts asking, ‘Do you guys want to race me? I bet I am faster than you. Want to race me?’ He asked a few times, but none of us acknowledged him. Very weird,” Luanda Marinho told CBS News.

”We're scared, so now we're thinking about changing our routes or changing our schedules, which shouldn't be an issue,” she added. “It was just weird, like some twisted game."

Another woman, identified only as Jameka, told 6abc that she encountered the suspect shortly before the jogger was chased. She spotted him approaching the runner near the La Colombe coffee shop and noticed the woman was wearing headphones. Jameka waved to get her attention and warned her that someone was behind her.

”I started to wave at her from across the intersection and say, 'Hey, there's someone behind you, look behind you,'” Jameka said. “And she heard me, and then she started to run away."

Anyone with information on this case or Hughes is asked to contact the department at 215-686-TIPS (8477).