- By Imran Zafar
- Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:30 PM (IST)
- Source:IANS
A man allegedly set a woman on fire while she was sleeping inside a subway train in New York, leading to her death. The incident occurred on Saturday morning around 7:30 am as the train approached the Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn, authorities said, stating that the man reportedly stayed during the incident watching the woman burn after setting her on fire.
Police stated that the suspect approached the victim, who was seated at the end of a subway car and used a lighter to ignite her clothing following which the flames quickly engulfed her. Officers at the station noticed smoke and discovered the woman fully engulfed in flames. With the help of an MTA employee and a fire extinguisher, the fire was extinguished, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect remained at the station and was found sitting on a bench near the train car. Police's body-worn cameras captured detailed footage of him. After the New York City Police Department (NYPD) released his images, three high school students identified him and called 911. The man was later arrested on another train, carrying a lighter in his pocket.
In the F Train at Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue, a demented man lit a sleeping woman on fire with a match, causing the victim to burn alive and die at the scene.
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) December 22, 2024
In New York, dangerous people are allowed to freely roam the subway. Yet the political establishment insists on… pic.twitter.com/cr2cblL0Rx
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New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the attack "one of the most depraved crimes" imaginable, highlighting that it claimed the life of an "innocent New Yorker."
Authorities revealed that the suspect is a migrant from Guatemala who entered the US reportedly through Arizona. His immigration status is under investigation while the victim's identity has not yet been released.
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The incident has also drawn widespread outrage. Tech billionaire Elon Musk wrote on X, ''Enough is enough.'' New York City Mayor Eric Adams commended the students who reported the suspect and called the act senseless and depraved. ''My prayers are with the victim’s family,'' Adams said, vowing to tackle violent crimes in the city.