LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — U.S. Marshals arrested a man accused of harassing and terrorizing more than a dozen people in Philadelphia at an apartment complex on Russell Road and Boulder Highway in the southeast Las Vegas Valley.
Zymire Hughes, who is accused of chasing victims while wearing a Halloween mask resembling a baby doll, was taken into custody after a week-long search, according to U.S. Marshal for Nevada, Gary Schofield.
Schofield visited the newsroom Tuesday to explain how investigators tracked Hughes down.
WATCH | U.S. Marshals detail arrest of masked man in Las Vegas
"We got the lead about a week ago," Schofield said.
Schofield described a process that involved surveillance, canvassing neighborhoods, and gathering information from multiple sources.
"We then track you, then there's a significant amount of surveillance and checking, walking around neighborhoods, talking to convenience stores, talking to apartment managers, talking to his relatives," Schofield said.
Local News
Man sought for assault in 'Chucky'-style mask arrested in Las Vegas
"So we will figure out a way to take all those — lack of better terms — crumbs, and put them together to figure out where they're at," Schofield said.
Schofield shared that the arrest came together with help from several law enforcement agencies and Marshal groups. He says they followed a similar process to the one explained above.
Schofield said the arrest of Hughes was routine.
"It's a normal process where we surround and call the individual out, and then the individuals inside the room came out and he came out," Schofield said.
"Most individuals decide to surrender peacefully and he did," Schofield said.
Schofield said Hughes is a Las Vegas resident with family in the valley, but there is no indication he committed any of the crimes he is accused of in Las Vegas.
Videos of the incidents in Philadelphia went viral, showing a man chasing a woman. According to Police, Hughes could face charges including simple assault, terroristic threats, and harassment to name a few.
Schofield said many people misunderstand what legally constitutes assault.
"It is an assault. A lot of people think an assault is you have to actually be physically hit," Schofield said.
"If you put me in fear, that is an assault," Schofield said.
"You should be able to walk through any community area without being terrorized by anybody wearing a mask," Schofield said.
Hughes is being held at the Clark County Detention Center. He is set to appear in a Clark County courtroom Thursday morning for an extradition hearing to determine whether he will be sent back to Philadelphia.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
