Woman set on fire on New York subway

A man has been taken into custody in relation to the death of a lady who was burned alive on a Brooklyn subway train, in New York.

The assault on Sunday was referred to as “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being” by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

According to her, a man approached the woman while she was on a stalled F train and ignited her garment with a lighter, causing it to become “fully engulfed in a matter of seconds.”

Officers put out the fire, but the victim reportedly passed away right there.

Investigators are still trying to determine the attack’s potential motivation.

As of yet, no charges have been brought, according to report.

According to officers, a guy approached the unnamed woman who was in a subway carriage at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station at around 7:30 local time (12:30 GMT).

Detectives were still trying to determine if the victim was asleep or not, but she was “motionless” when she was burned.

“We’re not 100% sure,” stated Joseph Gulotta of the NYPD.

According to Mr. Gulotta, there was “no interaction” between the two prior to the incident, and the police did not think the two were acquainted.

Ms. Tisch explained how the incident was reported to the police: “Officers were on patrol on an upper level of that station, smelled and saw smoke and went to investigate.”

“What they saw was a person standing inside the train car fully engulfed in flames.”

As police officers on patrol in the station hurried to the fire, the man disembarked from the train, albeit at first it doesn’t seem like he went very far.

“Unbeknownst to the officers who responded, the suspect had stayed on the scene and was seated on a bench on the platform just outside the train car,” Ms Tisch stated.

According to her, the responding officers’ body-worn cameras allowed police to get “very clear, detailed” images of the man.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) distributed the images according to report.

Ms. Tisch informed reporters that three New Yorkers in high school later called 911 to say they recognized the suspect on another metro train.

Officers boarded the train and proceeded through the metro cars to find the individual.

He was taken into custody at the Herald Square station, which is close to Manhattan’s Empire State Building.

According to Ms. Tisch, a lighter was discovered in his pocket.

According to Mr. Gulotta, the man, who has not been publicly identified, immigrated to the United States from Guatemala in 2018.

“I want to thank the young people who called 911 to help,” Ms Tisch added.

“They saw something, they said something and they did something.”

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