Man in creepy doll mask stalks and threatens people in Philadelphia

Philadelphia police announced on Tuesday that they are searching for a man who has spent the past week threatening and chasing at least half a dozen pedestrians near City Hall. Surveillance footage shows the suspect wearing an unsettling doll mask reminiscent of a horror movie character.

Police told the BBC's US media partner CBS that the man asked one woman if she was ready to die. In an incident on 12 August, he was filmed chasing a woman during her morning run at around 5:30 local time. Holding one hand behind his back, he made threatening remarks that caused the woman to stumble and injure herself. He then fled into an underground rail station.

Police Captain Jason Smith said the man appears to be recording the encounters, holding a cellphone with its light switched on. It remains unclear whether the incidents are connected to a social media trend.

Authorities have released photos and video of the suspect, appealing to the public for help identifying him. He faces potential charges including terroristic threats, simple assault and other offenses.

Luanda Marinho, who encountered the masked man while heading out for a morning run with a friend, told CBS that he repeatedly asked her group if they wanted to race him, claiming he was faster. None of them responded to him, she said, describing the experience as strange and unsettling. Marinho added that she and her friends are now considering changing their usual running route.