PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Police are searching for a masked person accused of threatening and harassing people outside City Hall.
The series of incidents in question took place over approximately 15 minutes early last Wednesday morning outside City Hall.
Police estimated that at least half a dozen people were accosted by a male wearing a white, baby-like mask with blackened eyes and a black mark on the forehead.
Only one person has reported him to the police.
According to Central Detectives Capt. Jason Smith, a woman reported the man chased her and made threatening comments while she was jogging along 15th Street and JFK Boulevard around 5:30 a.m.
“The male then gets in front of our complainant; he’s holding his cellphone up in front of her, at which time he asks her, “Are you ready to die?” Complainant appears startled, at which time the male asks her again if she’s ‘ready to die,’” Smith said.
Philadelphia Police Department
Police don’t believe the suspect physically assaulted anyone. They also said he harassed people indiscriminately, rather than targeting particular individuals.
The suspect is described as a thin, 5-foot-8 Black male between the ages of 16 and 20. While his face is not shown in the pictures, a video from police revealed him briefly taking off his mask, exposing his face.
Police did not observe him with a weapon, but said he had his hand behind his back while threatening the jogger. If caught, he’ll be charged with terroristic threats, harassment, simple assault, reckless endangerment and intimidation.
