A tragic and shocking incident unfolded in New York City early Sunday morning when a woman lost her life after reportedly being set on fire while sitting on a subway train. Police believe she may have been asleep when a man, whom she didn’t know, carried out this horrific act.
The suspect is now in custody, thanks to three sharp-eyed high school students who recognized him from widely shared images taken from subway surveillance and police body cameras. Their quick thinking helped transit officers track him down and make an arrest.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the incident “one of the most depraved crimes one person could commit against another.” According to Tisch, the victim and the man were on the same train, heading to the end of the line in Brooklyn around 7:30 a.m. They didn’t interact at all during the ride.
When the train came to a stop at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station, surveillance footage showed the man calmly walking over to the woman, who appeared to be sleeping. Using a lighter, he set her clothing on fire. The flames spread rapidly, engulfing her in seconds.
Officers patrolling the station noticed smoke coming from the subway car and discovered the woman on fire. Despite their efforts to extinguish the flames, she was pronounced dead at the scene. Tragically, the suspect was sitting on a bench just outside the train, watching the aftermath. Body cameras worn by officers captured clear images of him, which were later shared with the public.
Later that day, three teenagers spotted the man on another train and reported it. Transit officers intercepted the train at the next station, locked the doors, and searched each car until they found him. He was arrested without incident, and a lighter was found in his pocket.
Investigators are still working to determine more details about both the victim and the suspect, including whether the woman may have been homeless.
This wasn’t the only tragedy on the city’s subway system that day. Just after midnight, at the 61st Street-Woodside station in Queens, police responded to reports of an assault. They found a 37-year-old man fatally stabbed and a 26-year-old man with multiple slash wounds. The younger man was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive. The investigation into this attack is ongoing.
In response to rising concerns about subway safety, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has taken steps to make the system more secure. This year, she sent National Guard members to help police conduct random bag checks for weapons on trains. Additional patrols have been deployed for the busy holiday season. Hochul also supported installing surveillance cameras on every train car, a move that officials credit with helping to quickly identify the suspect in Sunday’s horrifying attack.
These incidents are stark reminders of the challenges facing public transit systems and the urgent need for improved safety measures to protect all riders.
