Man seen in Philadelphia wearing creepy, Chucky-style mask is arrested in Las Vegas, authorities say

Add to Google Man wearing a Chucky-style doll mask terrorizes Philadelphia residents 01:20 Get more news on Share Add to Google Aug. 26, 2026, 12:16 AM EDT By Dennis Romero A man seen in Philadelphia wearing a creepy, Chucky-style mask and allegedly harassing people there last week was arrested in Las Vegas, authorities in the desert city said Tuesday.

Zymire Hughes was arrested by U.S. Marshals Service Violent Offender Task Force members, the service said in a statement.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said last week that the warrant is based on allegations of felony and misdemeanor assault after Hughes allegedly chased a jogger, asked, “Do you want to die?” and caused her to suffer injuries as she fled early last Wednesday in Center City.

He said more charges were possible and would be outlined after the suspect’s arrest.

Booking information from Clark County Detention Center in Nevada shows Hughes in custody with no bail, with a hearing before a judge scheduled for Thursday morning.

It’s not clear if he has obtained legal counsel. Public defender’s offices in Clark County, Nevada, and Philadelphia did not immediately respond to requests for comment after regular business hours late Tuesday.

Police allege Hughes approached more than a dozen people in Center City that morning, before he fled after his interaction with the jogger. Police said he fled again after regional transit police in a train station contacted him and told him to remove his mask.

Authorities followed a trail via security cameras in the city that led to an apartment building where they say Hughes lives. Three people identified the masked suspect as Hughes, police said at a news conference last week.

The mask resembles the killer doll from the “Child’s Play” horror movie franchise. Police believe the suspect may have behaved in this manner before, and they asked any other possible victims to come forward.

A few days after the Center City incidents, Philadelphia Police Capt. Jason Smith said, police were tipped off that the suspect allegedly packed his bags and left the apartment.

Krasner said Hughes is on probation for an unspecified crime in nearby Montgomery County.

Smith said the suspect has two TikTok accounts and one Instagram account. He wore the mask to draw people to his online presence, Krasner said.

“We’re not having it in this city,” Krasner said of the suspect’s alleged antics. “We are not tolerating it.”

Dennis Romero Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.