Suspect filmed encounters with cellphone, police captain says
Philadelphia police on Tuesday released surveillance photos and video of the suspect and asked the public to help identify him. The man is accused of approaching runners and pedestrians in the City Hall area over several days last week, making threats and chasing victims before fleeing on foot.
In an incident on 12 August, the man was captured on surveillance video chasing a woman on a morning run around 5:30 a.m. local time, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. The masked man made threatening comments while holding his hand behind his back, causing her to stumble and injure herself, the department said. He then fled into an underground rail station.
Philadelphia Police Department Captain Jason Smith told CBS that the suspect appears to be filming the encounters while they unfold. The man holds a cellphone with its light on during the incidents, according to Smith.
It is unclear if the encounters are part of a social media trend, Smith said.
The suspect faces charges including terroristic threats, simple assault and other offenses, according to the police captain.
Luanda Marinho told CBS she encountered the masked man while meeting a friend for a morning run. Marinho said the man asked repeatedly whether the group wanted to race him. “He starts asking, ‘Do you guys want to race me? I bet I am faster than you. Want to race me?’ He asked a few times, but none of us acknowledged him. Very weird,” Marinho said.
Marinho said she and her running partner are now considering changing their route. “It was just weird, like some twisted game,” she said.
In a separate encounter, the masked man allegedly asked a woman if she was “ready to die,” according to police who spoke to CBS.
Police said at least half a dozen people were threatened or chased near City Hall during the stretch of incidents. The department on Tuesday released surveillance images and video seeking tips from anyone who can identify the suspect.