A woman in New York died after reportedly being set on fire by a fellow passenger on the New York subway. As the investigation began, it was unclear to authorities whether the suspect and the victim knew each other.
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Homicide Alleged In Death Of Woman Found Burned To Death On The Subway In NYC
A woman was found on fire Sunday morning in Brooklyn, New York City and declared deceased shortly afterward. Around 7:30 AM, NYC officers received a call to the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station. Upon arrival, they reportedly extinguished the fire, which was still going, and emergency first responders declared the woman dead.
The cause of death was not immediately reported, as authorities were investigating the incident.
According to initial reports, per ABC7NY, the woman may have been sleeping on the subway when the as-yet unidentified attacker caught her on fire. According to witnesses, the train was stopped when the alleged attacker entered, setting the woman on fire. It's not clear whether the alleged suspect immediately disembarked, or how long the woman may have been on fire.
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Other sources, such as the New York Post, suggested that the attacker was also on the subway, getting out of his seat to throw a lit match on the woman. The New York Post also reported that the woman was found sitting while "engulfed in fire" and that there were alcohol bottles surrounding her.
The NYPD News account on X had not reported on the woman's subway death, as of around 2:30 PM local time.
The F train was shut down between Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue and Kings Highway during the police investigation. As of around 2:20 PM local time, the F train was part suspended, according to SubwayStats , as "EMS and FDNY are responding to someone in need of medical assistance on a train at Coney-Stillwell Av."
The New York Post also reported another violent incident on a train at Woodside Avenue and 61st Street in Queens, where one person is said to have stabbed two separate victims; one in the face and one in the chest. The man who was stabbed in the chest reportedly died at the hospital afterward.
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Why is the National Guard being deployed in New York City subways?
Amid various violent attacks on New York City subways, sources like the New York Post point to governor Kathy Hochul's decision to send National Guard troops to NYC subways. Days before the aforementioned attacks, Governor Hochul deployed an additional 250 National Guard members to the subway system, which brought the total active patrol to 1,000.
Generally, the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station is not considered one of the most dangerous subway stations for travelers, though there have been various murders on subway stations in the city in 2024.
In September, the NYPD stated there was a reduction in overall crime in the city for an 8-month streak as of August's findings. August had a lower rate of murder (15 cases) citywide, a 53.1% decrease over the same month the year prior.
A Similar Flame-Throwing Crime Occurred On The NYC Subway In May
A similar crime occurred in New York City in May 2024, when a male attacker allegedly set two people on fire in the NYC subway. Yahoo! News reported that a suspect was accused of throwing a cup of flammable liquid at a man and woman on the subway. That incident included video footage of the alleged suspect holding a cup with flames coming out of it.
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In that case, both victims sustained severe burns, the woman to her chest and the man to his face, neck, arm, and upper chest as he tried to shield his companion.
The suspect in that case, a man named Nile Taylor, was also charged with attempting to set fire to other subway riders in February. In that case, the charges included assault and menacing.
Reference: Yahoo! News, The New York Post, SubwayStats, ABC7NY