Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Masked 'Chucky' Terror Suspect Arrested in Las Vegas | Crime Alert 08.27.26

Episode Date: August 27, 2026

A 22-year-old man accused of donning a Chucky Halloween mask to terrorize pedestrians and threaten a woman in Philadelphia has been captured in Las Vegas following a multi-state flight. In Montana, a devastating mass shooting leaves eight family members dead—including four young children—after a gunman opened fire during a family dinner before taking his own life. A California married couple has been extradited from Mexico after an eight-month investigation into the fatal beating of the wife's secret boyfriend. Sydney Silvagni reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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A terrifying multi-state manhunt has come to an end in Nevada. after a mass suspect accused of terrorizing pedestrians and threatening a woman in Philadelphia was tracked down and arrested in Las Vegas. The U.S. Marshal's Nevada Task Force apprehended 22-year-old Zemir Hughes inside a southeast Las Vegas apartment at 8 p.m. local time on Tuesday, August 25th. The U.S. Marshals confirmed Hughes is held in the Clark County Detention Center awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania. According to a Philadelphia Police Department press release, The horrifying spree occurred at 5.30 a.m. on August 12th along JFK Boulevard in Philadelphia. Authorities say Hughes wore a child's play, Chuckie-style Halloween mask,

aggressively chased several pedestrians, and then targeted a 40-year-old woman. At a press conference, U.S. Marshal's supervisory deputy Robert Clark detailed how Hughes attempted to evade authorities by fleeing across the country. Through our investigation, we determined that Mayor Hughes had been a Las Vegas residence, since February. He fled Philadelphia on August 19th from Trenton Mercer Airport in Ewing, New Jersey to Orlando International. He then flew from Orlando to Harry Reed International in Las Vegas. After being profiled on the news August 28th, he changed his location in Las Vegas and hid at an apartment complex in southeast

Las Vegas for the past five days. Marshals from the Nevada Task Force establish surveillance on the suspected apartment complex and Hughes was arrested without incident. Supervisory Deputy Clark revealed that Hughes had been a Las Vegas resident since February and fled Philadelphia on August 19th, flying from New Jersey to Orlando, then on to Las Vegas. After being profiled on the news on August 20th, Hughes relocated to hide at the apartment complex where task force officers established surveillance and arrested him without incident. NBC Philadelphia reported additional details citing Philadelphia police captain Jason Smith. Hughes allegedly chased the 40-year-old victim with his hand concealed behind his back while holding a phone up to her face, demanding to know, are you ready to die? The terrified woman stumbled during the encounter, sustaining a serious physical injury. On August 18th, police spotted Hughes leaving his apartment with packed bags. Captain Smith offered a disturbing theory behind the suspects. chilling conduct. I think he filmed this for social media content, either A, for his own sick,

personal amusement, or B, he had plans of posting it online at some point and possibly monetizing it. Hughes remains locked up in Clark County awaiting extradition back to Philadelphia. More crime and justice news after this. Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Crave Netflix and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on internet with a two-year term and Auto Pay credit. Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. In Montana, a devastating tragedy is left a community reeling after a man slaughtered eight of his relatives, including four young children, during a Sunday family dinner, just weeks after his parents asked him to move out. The Billings Police Department called the horrific mass homicide an unimaginable tragedy.

Investigators report that 44-year-old Alan Smith opened fire, on his family at a residence outside billing city limits before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Brad Ireland confirmed his ex-wife, Megan Gakiri, and their children, Owen and Chloe, were among those killed. Also murdered were Megan's stepchildren, 15-year-old Landon, and 12-year-old Charlotte, as well as Smith's parents, Dana and Barb, and his grandmother, Evelyn. Neighbor Jennifer Mercer confirmed that 12-year-old Charlotte was a true hero, managing to call 911 from Inslee. the home trying to save her family. Billings Police responded to the active shooting at 6.01 p.m. Sunday hearing gunfire from the back of the house before the structure was engulfed in flames.

Fire chief Matt Hopple stated firefighters fought the blaze until 1 a.m. Monday, hampered by a lack of hydrants in the subdivision. Ireland described Alan Smith as an unemployed hermit, who spent all day in his room on his computer. Smith's parents had asked him to move out weeks earlier. Adam Gakiri, who was working at the Billings Airport, heard the emergency radio dispatch and rushed to the scene, finding the home ablaze and learning his wife and children were dead. In California, a married couple accused of murdering the wife's secret boyfriend has been arrested in Mexico following an eight-month investigation. The Clovis Police Department announced that 40-year-old Antonio Garcia and 32-year-old Misty Gomez were extradited back to California in connection with the December 2020. fatal beating of 37-year-old Jeffrey Bernardi. Bernardi, a Clovis teacher, was found brutally beaten near a canal on December 18th and died two days

later. Police discovered Gomez was secretly dating Bernardi while married to Garcia. Bernardi's mother, Aaron Adams, said her son had been dating Gomez for only a few months and had no idea she was married. Adams recalled Gomez's manipulative behavior at her son's hospital bedside to ABC 30. She laid on his bed and wept and said we have to find who did this to him. And, you know, I mean, she was playing a game. She was watching our grief.

Authorities use technology to track the couple to Mexico where Gomez had fled with her two daughters. Garcia and Gomez face murder charges with bail set at $1 million each while the children remain in Mexican protective custody. For more crime and justice news, be sure to join us for crime stories with Nancy Grace on Fox 1, YouTube, Sirius XM, now streaming on 2B. With this crime alert, I'm Sidney Silvani. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.