Philadelphia police identify man accused of harassing people in "Chucky" mask

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Philadelphia Police Identify Man Accused of Harassing People in ‘Chucky’ Mask

Published: August 20, 2026

Philadelphia police have identified a 22-year-old man accused of terrorizing and harassing people near City Hall while wearing a Chucky-style mask.

Authorities identified the suspect as Zymire Hughes and said an arrest warrant has been issued. Police believe Hughes may have left Pennsylvania and has ties to California and Nevada.

Masked Suspect Allegedly Targeted Multiple People

The incidents happened during the early morning hours of August 12 near Philadelphia City Hall.

According to police, Hughes allegedly approached and antagonized at least six people over a roughly 15- to 20-minute period while wearing a mask resembling the horror character Chucky. Investigators believe he may have been recording some of the encounters on his cellphone, potentially for social media.

In one particularly frightening encounter, police said the masked man chased a female jogger and allegedly asked her, “Are you ready to die?” The woman ran away and suffered a leg injury during the incident.

Police Searching for Hughes

Authorities say Hughes may have already left Pennsylvania. Investigators are working with the U.S. Marshals Service to locate him and return him to Philadelphia.

Police are urging anyone who sees Hughes not to approach him and instead contact authorities.

The suspect is expected to face charges including terroristic threats, harassment, simple assault, reckless endangerment and intimidation, according to police.

The investigation remains ongoing as detectives work to determine the full number of people who may have been targeted.

All allegations are accusations, and Hughes is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.