Man Charged After Woman Set Ablaze in N.Y.C. Subway, Resulting in Her Death – One America News Network
OAN Staff Blake Wolf
9:45 AM – Monday, December 23, 2024
UPDATE- 12/23/24- 11:07 a.m. PST: The individual has been identified as an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala. He was apprehended at Herald Square, near the Empire State Building in Manhattan, and was found in possession of the same lighter used in the atrocious act. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch condemned the incident as “one of the most monstrous crimes one human could inflict upon another.”
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Authorities in New York City have taken into custody a suspect accused of setting a sleeping woman on fire inside a subway car, which ultimately led to her death.
Disturbing video footage captures the suspect watching the woman as she burned while the train remained stationary at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday.
The suspect reportedly ignited the unidentified woman while she was asleep before fleeing the scene, where he was eventually arrested, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Emergency Medical Services arrived shortly after and declared the woman deceased on the train, per police reports.
“I want to emphasize that this arrest was part of an ongoing collaborative effort between the police and the community we serve,” Tisch remarked, highlighting that several high school students were instrumental in spotting the suspect and calling 911, leading to his capture.
“In this case, we obtained remarkably clear images of the suspect from the initial incident. We then leveraged media channels to disseminate these images extensively, effectively enlisting the public as an additional resource – and once again, New Yorkers responded,” she continued, mentioning that the suspect was discovered with a lighter in his possession.
“Unbeknownst to the responding officers, the suspect remained on-site, sitting on a bench on the platform just outside the train car, and the body-worn camera on the officers who responded offered a clear view of the perpetrator,” Tisch added.
“This is exceptional work achieved through the collaboration of the public and the police. Once again, when someone observed something suspicious, we utilized technology to disseminate information rapidly, leading to a prompt arrest in this otherwise horrific crime within our subway system,” stated NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta.
Officers first came across the scene during a routine patrol at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station in Brooklyn, and they swiftly extinguished the flames before EMS arrived.
“It appeared as though all her clothing had been burned off,” an MTA worker recounted to the New York Post. “I was just passing by. The police were already present. I didn’t witness her engulfed in flames but that is what I heard. It was extinguished quickly. They turned off the lights [in the car] so no one could see.”
“That’s insane — it’s only three days until Christmas,” he remarked. “That’s just wrong.”
This horrifying act of violence comes in the wake of New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s (D-N.Y.) assertion that increasing National Guard presence in the subway system has reduced transit crimes, despite a notable 60% increase in subway murders this year.
“Things seem to be deteriorating,” commented Alex Gureyev, a 39-year-old New Yorker who witnessed the incident, according to the New York Post.
“People keep saying it’s resembling the 1970s again. While incidents like setting someone on fire may not be frequent, other crimes such as muggings, killings, and shootings have become increasingly common. It’s alarming,” he added.
Data from the New York Police Department indicates that eight individuals have died on subway trains or at stations as of September 8th, a rise from five during the same timeframe the previous year.
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