Philadelphia man accused of masked attack near City Hall faces trial
City Hall masked person assault case moves forward in court
Zymire Hughes, 22, appeared in court on charges including aggravated assault after police say he terrorized a woman near City Hall while wearing a Chucky-style mask. The case now moves toward trial after a Philadelphia judge dismissed two charges but held others for further proceedings. The decision came after the victim in the case testified in a courtroom for the first time.
PHILADELPHIA - Zymire Hughes appeared in court on Tuesday, on charges including aggravated assault after police say he terrorized a woman near City Hall while wearing a Chucky-style mask. The case now moves toward trial after a Philadelphia judge dismissed two charges but held others for further proceedings. The decision came after the victim in the case testified in a courtroom for the first time.
Inside the courtroom as the case moves forward
The case centers on the victim’s alleged encounter with Hughes on Aug. 12. The woman testified she was jogging and noticed a man in a mask running toward her around 5:30 a.m., so she tried to catch up with a bystander in hopes of getting help. The woman said the man got in front of her, with one hand behind his back, and asked her, "Are you ready to die?"
She described being terrified, screaming, and running away. During her escape, she says she tore her hamstring. As a result of the injury, she testified that she was hospitalized for two days, on bed rest for two weeks after, and is still undergoing physical therapy.
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Courtroom testimony included a video compilation that followed Hughes’ movements that day. It showed Hughes left an apartment on West Venango Street, boarded a SEPTA bus around 2:30 a.m., and eventually got off at City Hall. According to a SEPTA police officer, Hughes was told to remove his mask in Suburban Station but only moved it up a few inches before putting it back down.
Judicial decisions and witness accounts
Judge Karen Simmons dismissed charges of disorderly conduct and flight to avoid apprehension, finding the prosecution did not show enough evidence for those counts. However, aggravated assault and additional charges will proceed to trial. Hughes’ defense attorney argued that there was no evidence Hughes intended to cause serious injury and called for dismissal of the aggravated assault charge, but the judge disagreed.
The victim was one of four witnesses called by prosecutors. The SEPTA officer told the court he had previous contact with Hughes between 2023 and 2024, including a case involving "men in ski masks terrorizing people on a train."
Hughes was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Nevada on August 25, six days after authorities say he left Philadelphia, according to officials.
What's next:
Hughes did not speak during the hearing. The defense pressed for dismissal of the aggravated assault charge, but the judge ultimately kept that charge in place along with others. There was no testimony on a possible motive. The next court date is Oct. 6.
What we don't know:
No motive has been presented for the alleged crimes, and Hughes has not spoken publicly or in court about the incident.
The Source: This story uses information from courtroom testimony and information provided by the Philadelphia Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service.