Not every mime keeps quiet. One Massachusetts performer is now at the center of a criminal harassment case involving women who say they were left frightened and on edge.
A Framingham man known for appearing in a black-and-white mime outfit is accused of alarming women for months at a busy state park near Boston. Prosecutors say he allegedly stripped down to his underwear, covered himself in cooking oil and exercised near female employees before later collapsing in court as the charges against him were read aloud.
Hernan Villagran Lux, 29, of Framingham, faces criminal harassment charges after three female employees with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation reported repeated encounters with him at a Natick state park. One of the women told authorities she had more than 50 encounters with Lux over the past two months.
Prosecutors said all three women were familiar with Lux by both name and appearance. They alleged the interactions became more troubling over time, to the point that some employees feared being around him while working.
Appearing in court earlier this week, accused stalker “mime” Hernan Villagran Lux, 29, fainted on the stand as his charges were read. (Boston 25 News)
The case has also fueled warnings on social media, with residents across several Massachusetts communities saying they recognized Lux and alleging he had approached or followed women along the nearby rail trail.
Lux was arrested Sunday night on the Cochituate Rail Trail after several women and park employees alleged he repeatedly approached them, stared at them and would not leave when asked, according to Boston 25 News.
“The women report an extensive number of contacts with the defendant involving him staring at them, smiling in what they describe as ‘a really unnerving and frankly terrifying manner,’” Framingham District Court Supervisor Andrew Mange said during Monday’s court hearing.
A sign marks the entrance to Cochituate State Park in Natick, Mass., where a man is accused of repeatedly harassing female park employees over several months. (Boston 25 News)
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Mange said the encounters became increasingly bold. In one incident, prosecutors allege Lux “stripped down to his underwear, slathered cooking oil all over his body and began working out right by their staff area.”
The women also reported that Lux repeatedly refused to leave the park after being asked to do so, according to the station.
Prosecutors also alleged Lux complimented one employee’s appearance, commented on her lips and refused to leave as she and coworkers abandoned their work area because they felt unsafe.
Boston 25 reported that numerous people posted on social media saying they had spotted a man matching Lux’s distinctive mime-like appearance throughout Framingham, Natick and Wayland.
Several women also claimed a man fitting the same description approached and followed them on the Cochituate Rail Trail.
Hernan Villagran Lux appears in Framingham District Court in Framingham, Mass., on criminal harassment charges stemming from allegations involving female employees at a state park outside Boston. (Boston 25 News)
“I spotted him, he looked kind of odd, but I thought he was just dressed in a costume,” neighbor Nancy Dlott told Boston 25. “It’s kind of upsetting, especially if you’re walking alone,” she added.
“I just don’t understand what goes through someone’s head to do that,” Christopher Labella told the station. “I hope this guy gets the help that he needs.”
As prosecutors continued reading the allegations in court Monday, Lux fainted and was treated on scene before proceedings resumed, according to Boston 25.
When court resumed later in the afternoon, the judge ordered Lux to undergo a mental health evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital.
