The New York Police Department said the woman sat motionless on the F train stopping at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station in Brooklyn at about 7:30 a.m. December 22 (US time), when an unknown man approached her. approached and used a lighter to burn the victim’s clothes, according to Reuters.
A man is wanted by the New York Police Department in connection with the death of a woman who was burned while sleeping on the New York City subway on December 22.
The man then left the subway while police patrolling the station rushed to the fire.
“What they saw was a person standing inside a train car completely engulfed in flames,” New York Police Department Leader Jessica Tisch said at a press conference.
Police used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.
Investigators believe the suspect remained at the scene and sat on a bench just outside the subway.
Then, three New Yorkers called 911 after discovering the wanted suspect on another moving train late on December 22.
Police immediately boarded the train, located and arrested the suspect. Authorities are said to have discovered a lighter in the pants pocket of the suspect, who has not been publicly identified.
Police said they are still investigating the identity of the victim and the reason for the attack. Police confirmed there was no interaction before the attack and they do not believe the two men knew each other.
Every weekday, about 4 million people ride the New York City subway, where violent crime is relatively rare. According to police data, from January to November 2024, there were 9 reported murders on the New York subway, compared to 5 during the same period in 2023.
