Woman fatally injured after being set on fire on NYC subway

 

    Police responded to the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station in Brooklyn after a woman was set on fire aboard a subway car.

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the death of a woman who was set on fire aboard a subway train in Brooklyn, New York.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the incident on Sunday "one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being."

According to Tisch, the victim was on a stationary F train in Brooklyn when a man approached her and used a lighter to ignite her clothing. The woman died at the scene.

The suspect was later apprehended on a different subway train and taken into custody.

Authorities reported that the woman, whose identity has not yet been released, was in a subway car at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time (12:30 GMT) when the attack occurred. Police said there was no interaction between the suspect and the victim before the assault, and they do not believe the two knew each other.

The suspect fled the train, but officers on patrol at the station quickly responded after noticing smoke.

"Officers on an upper level of the station smelled and saw smoke, prompting them to investigate," Tisch said. "They discovered a person inside the train car fully engulfed in flames."

Police are continuing to work on identifying the victim and determining the motive for the attack.

"Unbeknownst to the responding officers, the suspect remained at the scene, sitting on a bench on the platform just outside the train car," Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

She explained that the officers were able to get a "very clear, detailed" look at the man, and his images were quickly disseminated by the New York Police Department (NYPD).

Later, three high school-aged New Yorkers recognized the suspect on another train and called 911 to report him, Tisch shared with reporters.

Officers then located the man and arrested him after boarding the train and searching through the subway carriages.

Police reported that the incident occurred at 7:30 a.m. local time.

Joseph Gulotta of the NYPD stated that detectives are still working to determine whether the victim was asleep when she was set on fire.

"She was definitely there and motionless," Gulotta said. "Whether she was asleep or not, we can't say with certainty, but it appears she was not moving at that moment."

He added, "There was no interaction between the two individuals. Even when the incident occurred, there was no exchange or engagement between them."