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PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — A suspect in a Chucky-style mask allegedly threatened and chased at least a half dozen people around Philadelphia City Hall last Wednesday and asked one woman if she was “ready to die,” according to police.
Investigators are searching for a suspect who was running up to people and making threats over a roughly 15-minute span on Aug. 12, Philadelphia Police Department Capt. Jason Smith said Monday.
Smith said the suspect is facing charges that include terroristic threats, simple assault and other offenses.
Smith said the threats started at 5:18 a.m. at the intersection of 15th and Chestnut streets on Aug. 12. He ran up to multiple people, attempting to scare and antagonize them.
According to Smith, the suspect was holding a cellphone with the light on and appeared to film the incidents. Smith said it’s unclear if the encounters were part of a social media trend, but the police department’s intelligence unit is involved in the investigation.
At 5:20 a.m., Smith said the suspect entered a Dunkin’ on the 1500 block of Chestnut Street, but he was refused service for wearing the mask. He exited and was later seen on camera running toward people at the southwest corner of Penn Square at City Hall at 5:25 a.m.
Smith said the suspect chased a man on the west side of 15th Street and then approached a woman jogging at 15th and Market streets.
Smith said the suspect allegedly stopped in front of the woman and asked her, “Are you ready to die?” The woman took off running and injured her leg, Smith said.
The suspect fled to Suburban Station after the threats, Smith said.
Smith said so far only one person who was threatened had come forward. Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to contact the Philadelphia Police Department.
Luanda Marinho said she encountered the masked man when she was meeting her friend at 12th and Chestnut streets in the morning for a run.
“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,” Marinho said.
Marinho said she couldn’t believe it when she saw the man’s photos on social media.
“We’re scared, so now we’re thinking about changing our routes or changing our schedules, which shouldn’t be an issue,” Marinho said. “It was just weird, like some twisted game.”
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