Massachusetts women go to work at state park. Then a man allegedly slathered himself in cooking oil and started exercising near them

Three women working for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) say an unsettling series of encounters with a man dressed as a mime escalated over two months at Cochituate State Park and the nearby Cochituate Rail Trail, about 20 miles west of Boston. Prosecutors allege the incidents culminated with the man stripping down to his underwear, coating himself in cooking oil, and exercising near the employees’ work area.

The man, identified by authorities as 29-year-old Hernan Villagran Lux of Framingham, appeared in Framingham District Court on July 20, 2026, after Massachusetts State Police arrested him the previous evening on the Cochituate Rail Trail. Court records show he pleaded not guilty. A judge later ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation to determine whether he is competent to stand trial, according to the Boston Globe.

According to prosecutors, the women reported dozens of encounters with Villagran Lux while they worked in the park. Framingham District Court Supervisor Andrew Mange told the court that the women described repeated interactions in which the defendant stared at them and smiled in what they considered “a really unnerving and frankly terrifying manner,” per Boston 25 News.

Dozens of ‘real creepy’ encounters

During one incident, prosecutors allege Villagran Lux stripped to his underwear, covered himself with cooking oil, and began exercising near the employees’ staff area. They also alleged he refused repeated requests to leave the park.

In another encounter, prosecutors said he complimented one employee’s appearance and commented on her lips. He reportedly remained in the area after the women left because they felt unsafe.

The women also described Villagran Lux as someone who frequently wore an unusual mime-style outfit. Witnesses and neighbors told local media they had seen him walking through Framingham, Natick, and nearby communities wearing black-and-white face paint, a top hat, cape, and cane.

Several trail users said the distinctive costume made him easy to recognize. NBC Boston quoted one resident who described the appearance as “real creepy,” while another said she had seen him several times before the arrest.

Authorities eventually located Villagran Lux on the Cochituate Rail Trail. According to Massachusetts State Police, cited by the Boston Globe, troopers conducting a foot patrol recognized him because an arrest warrant had already been issued. They arrested him Sunday evening, July 19, 2026, without further incident. He faces three counts of criminal harassment connected to the DCR employees’ allegations.

The court hearing drew additional attention after Villagran Lux fainted while prosecutors summarized the allegations. Court personnel treated him before proceedings resumed later that day. Following the hearing, the judge sent Villagran Lux to Bridgewater State Hospital for a 20-day competency evaluation before proceedings resumed.