Not every mime keeps quiet. In Massachusetts, one performer is now accused of leaving women terrified.
A 29-year-old Framingham man known for appearing in public in a black-and-white mime costume is facing allegations that he frightened women for months at a busy state park near Boston. Prosecutors say he allegedly undressed to his underwear, covered his body in cooking oil and exercised near female staff members before later collapsing in court as the accusations were read aloud.
Hernan Villagran Lux, of Framingham, has been charged with criminal harassment after three female employees with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation reported repeated encounters with him at a state park in Natick over the past two months, with one woman describing more than 50 interactions.
According to prosecutors, all three women recognized Lux by both name and appearance. Authorities said one employee reported dozens of encounters that grew more alarming over time, ultimately making staff members fearful about working in his presence.
The case has also drawn attention online, where social media users in several Massachusetts communities said they recognized the suspect. Some claimed he had approached or followed women along a nearby rail trail.
Lux was arrested Sunday night on the Cochituate Rail Trail after several women and park workers alleged that he repeatedly came near them, stared at them and refused to leave even after being told to go, 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 a court hearing Monday.
Mange told the court the behavior appeared to escalate. In one alleged incident, prosecutors said 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.
“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 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.
