Woman dies after being set on fire on New York subway

A woman tragically lost her life on Sunday in Brooklyn after being set on fire aboard a stationary subway train. A man has been arrested in connection with the horrifying attack, described by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch as “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being.”

The incident occurred at around 07:30 local time (12:30 GMT) on an F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station. Police say the woman, whose identity has not yet been released, was seated in a subway car when a man used a lighter to ignite her clothing, which quickly became engulfed in flames.

Although officers extinguished the fire, the victim succumbed to her injuries at the scene.

Detectives are working to determine a motive for the attack. NYPD official Joseph Gulotta stated that there appeared to be no prior interaction between the victim and the suspect and that the two did not know each other. The victim was reportedly motionless at the time of the attack, but it remains unclear whether she was asleep.

Officers were alerted to the fire by smoke and flames emanating from the train. Responding officers discovered the suspect had remained at the station, seated on a bench near the scene of the attack.

Detailed imagery from officers’ body-worn cameras enabled police to disseminate a clear picture of the suspect. Later in the day, three high school students recognized the man on another subway train and called 911.

Officers located and arrested the suspect at Herald Square station in Manhattan, near the Empire State Building. He was found carrying a lighter in his pocket.

The suspect, who emigrated from Guatemala to the United States in 2018, has not yet been publicly identified. No charges have been filed at this time.