Not all mimes stay silent. One is now accused of terrorizing women.
A Massachusetts man known for roaming in a black-and-white mime costume is accused of frightening women for months at a popular state park, where prosecutors say he allegedly stripped to his underwear, slathered himself in cooking oil and worked out near female employees before later collapsing in court as the allegations were read aloud.
Hernan Villagran Lux, 29, of Framingham, is facing criminal harassment charges after three female state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) employees had up to over 50 encounters over the past two months at a Natick state park near Boston.
Prosecutors said all three women knew Lux by name and appearance, and one reported more than 50 encounters that authorities said escalated over time, eventually leaving employees afraid to work around him.
The allegations have also sparked warnings on social media, where people across several Massachusetts communities said they recognized the suspect and claimed he had approached or followed women on a nearby rail trail.
Authorities arrested Lux Sunday night on the Cochituate Rail Trail, after multiple women and park workers alleged he repeatedly approached them, stared at them and refused to leave despite repeated requests, according to Boston 25 News.
“The women report an extensive number of contacts with the defendant involving him staring at them, smiling in what they describe as ‘a really unnerving and frankly terrifying manner,’” Framingham District Court Supervisor Andrew Mange said during Monday’s court hearing.
Mange said the encounters became increasingly bold. In one incident, prosecutors allege Lux “stripped down to his underwear, slathered cooking oil all over his body and began working out right by their staff area.”
The women also reported that Lux repeatedly refused to leave the park after being asked to do so, according to the station.
Prosecutors also alleged Lux complimented one employee’s appearance, commented on her lips and refused to leave as she and coworkers abandoned their work area because they felt unsafe.
Boston 25 reported that numerous people posted on social media saying they had spotted a man matching Lux’s distinctive mime-like appearance throughout Framingham, Natick and Wayland.
Several women also claimed a man fitting the same description approached and followed them on the Cochituate Rail Trail.
“I spotted him, he looked kind of odd but I thought he was just dressed in a costume,” neighbor Nancy Dlott told Boston 25. “It’s kind of upsetting, especially if you’re walking alone,” she added.
“I just don’t understand what goes through someone’s head to do that,” Christopher Labella told the station.
“I hope this guy gets the help that he needs.”
As prosecutors continued reading the allegations in court Monday, Lux fainted and was treated before proceedings resumed, according to Boston 25.
When court resumed later in the afternoon, the judge ordered Lux to undergo a mental health evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital.
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