Philadelphia Police Search for Masked Man in Chucky Mask Terrorizing Center City

Philadelphia police are searching for a masked individual who allegedly terrorized multiple people in the Center City area early on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, during a nearly 20-minute spree that included chasing a jogger and asking her if she was "ready to die." The suspect, described as a thin Black male between 16 and 20 years old, remains at large as investigators scour social media for potential footage he may have recorded.

The incidents began at approximately 5:18 a.m. on August 12, when the suspect was first spotted near 15th and Chestnut streets wearing a distinctive "Chucky doll Halloween-style face mask." According to Philadelphia Police Captain Jason Smith, the individual was running up to people in an attempt to scare or antagonize them while holding a cellphone, apparently filming the encounters. At 5:20 a.m., he entered a Dunkin' store but was refused service due to the mask. He then continued his behavior at nearby locations, including the southwest corner of 15th Street and South Penn Square.

The most alarming encounter occurred at 5:33 a.m. near Dilworth Plaza. Surveillance video captured the suspect chasing a female jogger on the east side of 15th Street....