What's New
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is working to identify a woman recently set on fire on the city's subway system.
The woman was pronounced dead on Sunday.
Why It Matters
Transit police arrested the suspect, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, after three high school students recognized him. The students had seen widely circulated images of the man, captured from surveillance footage and police body cameras, and reported him to authorities.
Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta stated Sunday that authorities are actively investigating the suspect's background and whether the victim was homeless, as part of an ongoing police inquiry.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that the suspect and the victim had been riding the subway together without any interaction before reaching the end of the line in Brooklyn around 7:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.
What To Know
Surveillance footage captured the suspect "calmly" approaching the victim after the subway train had stopped. The woman, who appeared to be motionless, possibly asleep, was seated when the man ignited her clothing using what appeared to be a lighter, according to Tisch. Within seconds, her clothing was "fully engulfed in a matter of seconds."
Authorities have indicated that there is no evidence to suggest the suspect and the victim were acquainted.
While conducting a routine patrol at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station, officers noticed smoke and discovered a woman engulfed in flames, standing in the middle of a subway car. Emergency medical personnel pronounced her dead at the scene after extinguishing the fire.
Unbeknownst to responding officers, the suspect had stayed at the scene and was seated on a bench on the subway platform, just outside the train car, Tisch said. Footage from officers' body cameras provided a "very clear, detailed look" at the suspect with the images later released to the public.
Following a 911 tip from the teenagers, transit officers located the suspect on another subway train, according to Gulotta. Coordinating ahead, officers at the next station secured the train by keeping the doors closed and conducting a car-by-car search, resulting in the suspect being apprehended without incident. Tisch confirmed that the man had a lighter in his pocket when taken into custody.
What People Are Saying
"New Yorkers came through again," Tisch said at a press conference after the suspect was apprehended.
Tisch addedthat the case is "one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being."
Crime in New York City's Subway
Violent incidents in the subway system resonate deeply with New Yorkers, many of whom rely on trains multiple times a day.
Citywide transit crime has decreased this year compared to the same period in 2023, according to data from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The agency reported a 6 percent drop in major felonies between January and November, reflecting broader trends in public safety within the subway system.
Despite an overall decline in major felonies, murders within the transit system have risen with nine reported killings between January and November this year, compared to five during the same period in 2023.
What's Next
It is likely that the NYPD will release further information on the suspect, the victim and the investigation into the incident in the coming days.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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