The man accused of terrorizing pedestrians in downtown Philadelphia while wearing a chilling Chucky doll-style mask has finally been captured, ending a multi-state manhunt. Zymire Hughes, 22, was arrested Tuesday night by the U.S. Marshals Service at an apartment complex in southeast Las Vegas, where he had reportedly been hiding out for five days.
The terrifying spree began on the morning of August 12, when Hughes allegedly chased and harassed as many as 16 people near Philadelphia's City Hall over a half-hour period. In the most disturbing incident, he chased a 40-year-old woman who was jogging and asked her if she was "ready to die." The woman ran screaming for help and fell, seriously injuring her leg in the process.
Police believe Hughes carried out the attacks purely for social media attention, either to feed his own twisted amusement or to post the footage online. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner didn't hold back when addressing the suspect directly, warning him that handcuffs and a jail cell were waiting for him.
Knowing he was wanted, Hughes fled Philadelphia on August 19, flying from New Jersey to Orlando before landing in Las Vegas, a city he'd secretly been living in since February. Investigators say he then went into hiding, switching locations to dodge capture.
His plan ultimately failed. Hughes is now being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center, awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania, where he faces charges including aggravated assault and terroristic threats.