A Philadelphia actor who says they confronted a man in a Chucky mask after he allegedly frightened and chased people on the street is now sharing their account of the unsettling episode in an exclusive interview with Oxygen.
Jameka Wilson said the incident unfolded on the morning of Aug. 12, shortly after they got off a trolley near Philadelphia City Hall. That’s when they noticed a masked person moving quickly toward a woman who appeared unaware of the danger while focused on her phone and wearing earbuds.
Wilson said they yelled out to alert the woman, who took off running once she realized what was happening. According to Wilson, the man in the mask then appeared to shift his focus to another passerby carrying a box, pursuing that person in the direction of a nearby coffee shop.
After the second pedestrian managed to get inside the coffee shop and lock the door behind him, Wilson said they started to run as well — only to realize the masked suspect was now coming after them.
“I had bags on, I had a purse, I had a tote bag,” Wilson said, explaining that they worried the man might grab them from behind. “One of the reasons I decided to turn around was because I didn’t want him to pull on the back of my straps.”
Rather than keep fleeing, Wilson spun around to face him, bracing for a possible confrontation and scanning for any sign of a weapon. They said the man appeared to be holding a phone, possibly recording what was happening.
Wilson said they responded by kicking him in the chest.
“He seemed immediately confused,” they said. “I don’t think he was expecting that behavior.”
Wilson, a 2023 graduate of the now-closed University of the Arts, said stage-combat training helped in the moment. Although the training is designed to keep scene partners safe, Wilson said its grounding in martial arts and weaponry gave practical knowledge to draw on.
Wilson believes the man intended to harm people but felt his ultimate goal was unclear.
“I feel like he had the intent to harm,” Wilson said. “But he didn’t have the training or the full audacity, honestly.”
Philadelphia Police identified the suspect as Zymire Hughes and said he is wanted in connection with the alleged incident. Police previously said a man in what they described as a “Chucky doll Halloween-style face mask” ran up to and frightened several people that morning.
One 40-year-old jogger was allegedly chased by the suspect, who police said asked her, “Are you ready to die?” The jogger fell and was injured, authorities said.
Wilson’s message to Hughes was simple: “They’re gonna find you.”
