Philadelphia police have revealed that Zymire Hughes, the 22-year-old man accused of terrorizing commuters while wearing a Chucky mask, has significant ties to California and may have fled the state. Hughes is known to frequent Los Angeles and Las Vegas for employment, according to Philadelphia Police Captain Jason Smith.
"He has a tendency to travel back and forth to the West Coast—California, the L.A. area—but also Las Vegas. And he would be for employment reasons," Smith told ABC 6.
Authorities are working with the U.S. Marshals Service to apprehend Hughes, who has an active arrest warrant. He faces charges including terroristic threats, harassment, assault, reckless endangerment, and intimidation. A potential weapons charge may also be added for implying he was armed during an encounter.
Police estimate Hughes may have accosted at least 15 individuals during his spree last week. Investigators believe he was seeking social media notoriety for his actions. "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 stated.
During one incident on Aug. 12, Hughes allegedly threatened a woman jogging, asking her if she was "ready to die." The woman fled and sustained a leg injury, according to reports. A witness, Jameka, attempted to warn the jogger before the suspect turned his attention to her. She claims she retaliated by kicking Hughes in the chest, disorienting him.
Following the encounters, Hughes reportedly fled to a Philadelphia rail station. Witnesses expressed distress over the incidents, with one coffee shop patron stating, "It’s really unsettling just trying to get to work and have a kid like this actively terrorizing women. I really hope he is caught."