A manhunt is underway in Philadelphia after a suspect in a Chucky-style mask threatened and chased multiple people, asking one woman if she was “ready to die”, according to police.
Footage shows a masked man in dark clothing chasing a woman jogging near City Hall in the Center City neighborhood at around 5:30a.m. on Wednesday, 12 August.
He is accused of harassing at least six people over a period of nearly 20 minutes, wearing a “distinctive Chucky doll Halloween-style face mask,” Philadelphia Police Captain Jason Smith said in a press briefing Monday.
The suspect faces charges of harassment, terroristic threats, simple assault, reckless endangerment and intimidation, he added, per ABC News.
open image in galleryWhile chasing the jogger, the masked man was “holding his cellphone in front of her, at which point he asked her, ‘Are you ready to die?’”, Smith said.
“The female is screaming for help this entire time… The male abruptly stops and heads northbound on 15th Street, at which point he gets on the escalators at Suburban Station,” Smith explained, per 6abc Action News.
As of Monday, Smith said only the jogger had come forward to police, although there were believed to be at least half a dozen people the suspect had been “attempting to scare or antagonize”, he said according to ABC News.
open image in galleryA witness described the bizarre encounter, telling reporters it was “like some twisted game”.
Luanda Marinho told CBS News: “He starts asking, ‘Do you guys want to race me? I bet I am faster than you. Want to race me?’ He asked a few times, but none of us acknowledged him. Very weird.
”We’re scared, so now we’re thinking about changing our routes or changing our schedules, which shouldn’t be an issue,” she added. “It was just weird, like some twisted game.”
Another woman recalled fighting off the suspect by kicking him in the chest, after trying to warn the jogger that there was someone behind her.
open image in gallerySpeaking to 6abc, Jameka, who gave only her first name, said the jogger was wearing headphones when she was approached.
”I started to wave at her from across the intersection and say, ‘Hey there’s someone behind you, look behind you.’
“She heard me, and then she started to run away,” Jameka told the outlet. When the suspect turned his attention towards him, she fought him off.
The Independent has contacted Philadelphia Police Department for comment. Anyone with information is asked to call the department on 215-686-TIPS (8477).