A black man wearing a Chucky-style mask asked a female jogger if she was ready to die before chasing her through Center City Philadelphia as she screamed for help, police said.
Philadelphia police say the masked suspect spent about 15 minutes early Wednesday morning targeting at least six people at random near Philadelphia City Hall. The suspect remains at large.
The incidents began shortly after 5:20 a.m. on August 12, Philadelphia Police Capt. Jason Smith said.
The suspect first walked into a Dunkin’ Donuts wearing a distinctive white, Chucky-style Halloween mask with black hair. Staff refused him service because he was behaving erratically, according to police. He then began approaching people nearby while holding a cell phone in front of them and appearing to record the encounters.
One of those people was a 40-year-old woman jogging near 1500 JFK Boulevard. Smith said the masked man stopped in front of her, held his phone toward her face, and asked, “Are you ready to die?”
When she looked startled, he asked the same question again. She ran off, screaming for help as the suspect chased her, police said. She injured her leg while trying to escape.
During the encounter, the suspect kept one arm concealed behind his back, according to police.
No weapon appears in the surveillance video, but police say the suspect is wanted on charges including possession of an instrument of crime, terroristic threats, harassment, assault, reckless endangerment, and intimidation.
A woman named Jameka saw what was happening and tried to warn the jogger from across the intersection. She later confronted the suspect herself and kicked him in the chest.
“He just seemed so disoriented about what his goals actually were,” she said. “I had bags. He wasn’t reaching for those. It didn’t seem like he had a clear goal to like actually get in La Colombe to do anything, so I was like OK, well, let’s see if you can fight, and he couldn’t.”
The suspect eventually fled into SEPTA Suburban Station.
Police describe him as a black male between 16 and 20 years old with a medium complexion, standing about 5 feet 8 inches tall with a thin build. He was carrying a black-and-blue plaid backpack.
Investigators believe he approached multiple people that morning, although police said only the jogger has formally reported an incident as of their latest update.
“It’s really unsettling just trying to get to work and have a kid like this actively terrorizing women,” said Kate Egan, who works at a nearby coffee shop. “I really hope he is caught.”
Police have produced footage and still images of the suspect, including video showing him briefly lowering the mask.
Anyone with information is asked to call Philadelphia Police at 215-686-TIPS or submit a tip through the department’s website. Law enforcement has warned members of the public not to approach the suspect.
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