Zymire Hughes was arrested in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Aug. 25
Credit: Philadelphia Police Department/X; Philadelphia Police Department/X
NEED TO KNOW
- Zymire Hughes was arrested in Las Vegas after fleeing Philadelphia following alleged incidents involving a Chucky-style mask
- Authorities believe Hughes fled for social media content and stayed in Las Vegas with his girlfriend before relocating
- Hughes allegedly chased a woman on JFK Boulevard in Philly, causing her to fall and sustain a serious injury
The masked suspect accused of terrorizing people and threatening a woman in Philadelphia has been arrested in Las Vegas.
The U.S. Marshals Service Nevada Violent Offender Task Force arrested 22-year-old Zymire Hughes in Las Vegas at 8 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Aug. 25, the U.S. Marshals announced on X. He is being held in the Clark County Detention Center, awaiting extradition back to Philadelphia.
At 5:30 a.m. on Aug. 12, Hughes allegedly chased a 40-year-old woman and threatened her while wearing a Child’s Play Chucky-style Halloween mask on JFK Boulevard in Philadelphia, per a Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) press release. The suspect also allegedly chased several other pedestrians in the area moments before chasing the woman, PEOPLE previously reported.
Hughes was arrested without incident at a southeast Las Vegas apartment he had been staying at for “five days” after fleeing Philadelphia following the alleged incidents, U.S. Marshals Supervisory Deputy Robert Clark said at a press conference, per NBC 10 Philadelphia.
Credit: U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia/X
“Through our investigation, we determined Zymire Hughes had been a Las Vegas resident since February,” said Clark. “He fled Philadelphia on Aug. 19 from Trenton Mercer Airport in Ewing, N.J., to Orlando International. He then flew from Orlando to Harry Reid International in Las Vegas.”
“After being profiled on the news Aug. 20, he changed his location in Las Vegas and hid at an apartment complex in southeast Las Vegas for the past five days,” he continued. “Marshals for the Nevada task force established surveillance on the suspected apartment complex today and … Hughes was arrested without incident.”
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Clark said at the press conference that Hughes is believed to have stayed with his girlfriend first after fleeing Philadelphia, before relocating to the southeast Las Vegas apartment where he was arrested.
Credit: Philadelphia Police Department/X
Hughes allegedly chased the 40-year-old woman with “his hand behind his back” and asked her, “Are you ready to die?” while holding a phone up to her face, causing her to stumble and sustain a serious injury, NBC Philadelphia reported, citing Philadelphia Police Capt. Jason Smith.
On Aug 18, police told the outlet that Hughes was spotted leaving his apartment with packed bags.
“I believe that he was doing this purely for social media content – either A, for his own sick personal amusement, or B, he had plans of posting it online at some point, and possibly monetizing it,” Smith told ABC6.
PEOPLE has reached out to the U.S. Marshals and PPD for further comment.
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