#Socialites, come get into this: Center City Philadelphia has a new boogeyman walking the streets, and this one’s hiding behind a busted Chucky mask instead of a hockey mask.
Police say the masked man, believed to be somewhere between 16 and 20 years old, has been running up on pedestrians near City Hall during the early morning hours, chasing them down, cornering them outside businesses, asking them if they’re ready to die, and even getting bounced out of a coffee shop for trying to force his way in. And according to witnesses, dude is allegedly filming the whole thing on his phone like it’s content.
However, one Philly woman named Jameka wasn’t having it, though. She told Action News she first spotted the masked figure chasing another woman near the intersection and tried to warn her. Once that woman got away, the masked man turned his attention to Jameka. Instead of running scared, she squared all the way up.
She said she threw her hands up in a fighting stance, protected her center line, and started yelling at him to back off. And when he tried to mirror her stance, she could immediately tell something was off…this man had never thrown a real punch in his life. In her own words describing the standoff, she said “let’s see if you can fight — and he couldn’t.” Jameka ended up kicking him in the chest, and he took off running like the mask wasn’t the only fake thing about him that morning.
She also pointed out how disorganized his whole approach seemed. She had bags on her that he never once reached for, which made her question if robbery was even the plan. It felt more like he was chasing a reaction, maybe for clout, maybe for a video, but definitely not for a real confrontation, because when it came down to it, he clearly folded.
Now, this wasn’t an isolated incident either. Another woman, identified as Kate Egan, said her coworker got targeted by the same masked man while a security guard had to step in to shut it down. She described the situation as disturbing and said it’s left people rattled just trying to walk to work in broad daylight, let alone during those early morning hours when the streets are quieter.
Surveillance footage also caught the masked man chasing down a woman who was simply out for a morning run near City Hall. Philadelphia Police Captain Jason Smith said the video shows the woman screaming for help before the suspect abruptly breaks off the chase and disappears onto the escalators at Suburban Station.
Police say he’s approached victims with his phone held up in one hand while keeping the other hand hidden behind his back, all while laughing and asking people if they’re ready to die.
Investigators don’t believe the suspect is armed, but they’re not taking any chances given how close this is happening to one of the city’s most trafficked areas. Captain Smith made it clear that City Hall being ground zero for these incidents has police locked in on finding this guy, and they’re now combing through social media hoping he slipped up and posted footage of his own stunts online.
For now, every victim has walked away unharmed, but the fear factor is real for people moving through Center City before the sun’s all the way up. Police are asking anyone with information to call 215-686-TIPS, because whoever this masked man is, Philly already proved one thing, the streets will check you before the police do.