Zymire Hughes, 22, was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Las Vegas after Philadelphia police accused him of threatening and chasing pedestrians while wearing a Halloween-style mask.
The two-week search for a man accused of frightening pedestrians in Philadelphia has ended in Las Vegas.
Zymire Hughes, 22, was arrested Tuesday evening, Aug. 25, by the U.S. Marshals Service at an apartment complex in southeast Las Vegas, authorities said.
Hughes was being held at the Clark County Detention Center while awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania. Federal authorities said the arrest was carried out by the U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia branch and the Nevada Violent Offender Fugitive Task Force.
What happened in Philadelphia?
The case began on Aug. 12, when a man wearing a distinctive Halloween-style mask was reported approaching and frightening people around Center City near Philadelphia City Hall.
Philadelphia police later identified the suspect as Hughes and obtained an arrest warrant.
Investigators said the masked man approached numerous people during the early morning hours. Authorities have described the incidents as involving more than a dozen people, while individual reports and surveillance footage documented several specific encounters.
One of the most disturbing encounters involved a 40-year-old woman who was jogging near 15th Street and JFK Boulevard.
According to police, Hughes allegedly moved toward her while wearing the mask and made a threatening remark, including asking whether she was “ready to die.”
The woman ran to get away from him and fell, suffering injuries to her leg and spine, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
Surveillance footage also allegedly showed Hughes approaching or chasing other pedestrians.
Police said he appeared to be holding a cellphone during some of the encounters, and investigators believed he was recording his interactions.
The investigation led police to Hughes
Philadelphia police identified Hughes as the suspect after reviewing surveillance footage and other evidence.
An active warrant was issued for charges including aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of crime, terroristic threats, simple assault and reckless endangerment.
Authorities also learned that Hughes had connections to Nevada and California.
Police suspected he had left Pennsylvania after the incidents. U.S. Marshals eventually became involved in the search as investigators worked to locate him outside the state.
How Hughes was found in Las Vegas
According to authorities, Hughes had been living in Las Vegas and was believed to have returned there after leaving the Philadelphia area.
The U.S. Marshals task force located him at an apartment complex in southeast Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Agents established surveillance at the complex before moving in to make the arrest at about 8 p.m., according to authorities. Hughes was taken into custody and transported to the Clark County Detention Center.
Authorities said he will remain in Nevada while the extradition process to Pennsylvania moves forward.
The arrest ends a search that crossed state lines
The arrest brings the manhunt to an end more than a week after the Philadelphia incidents and several days after police publicly identified Hughes.
The case drew widespread attention because of the unusual mask and surveillance footage showing the suspect allegedly approaching people on Philadelphia streets.
Philadelphia police had warned that anyone who encountered the suspect should not approach him and should instead contact law enforcement.
For now, Hughes faces the Pennsylvania charges connected to the alleged encounters. The allegations have not been adjudicated in court, and the extradition process will determine when he is returned to Pennsylvania to face the case.
