Woman's death on NYC subway causes outrage
By: John Bacon
and Thao Nguyen
USA Today
..... New York police on Monday [12/23/2024] were trying to determine why someone set a woman on fire aboard a train in Brooklyn in a fatal attack drawing outrage from city and state leaders who have been laboring to make the trains safer.
.....
The suspect and victim were aboard the train at around 7:30 PM. Sunday [12/22/2024] when the suspect approached the victim and intentionally set her on fire before fleeing the scene, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a briefing.
..... Mayor Eric Adams expressed gratitude to "the young New Yorkers and transit officers: who aided thin the capture of someone described as a person of interest on another subway train a few hours after the "heinous" attack.
..... "this type of depraved behavior has no place in our subways and we are committed to working hard to ensure their is swift justice for all victims of violent crime, Adams said in a social media post.
..... Police believe the suspect sued a lighter to ignite the victim;'s clothing, Tisch said. Officers patrolling on an upper level of the subway station then smelled and saw smoke, went to investigate and discovered the victim "fully engulfed in flames,: Tisch said.
..... Officers along with a Metropolitan Transpiration Authority employee, were able to extinguish the ire, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim had not been identified.
..... Tisch said surveillance cameras on the subway train and body cameras on there resounding officers caught "a very clear, detailed look" of the suspect. Footage showed the suspect 'calmly: approaching the victim, who was at the end of the subway train, Tisch said. police initially believed the victim was sleeping at the time, but later said it was unclear whether she was asleep.
..... It was not clear whether the suspect knew the victim.
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The suspect was taken into custody after three high school students called 911 to report that they saw a man wearing the same clothes as the suspect's description -gray hoodie, distinct wool hat, paint-splattered pants and tan boots - on another moving train, Tisch said.
..... The person of interest, who tisch said was found with a lighter in his pocket, emigrated form Guatemala to the United States in 2018.
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"I want to thank the young people who called 911 to help," Tisch said. "They saw something, and they said something and they did something."
..... Sunday's [12/22/2024] incident took place just days after New York Governor Kathy Hochul, MTA CEO Janno Leiber and law enforcement officials announced efforts to increase subway safety.
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Earlier this year, [2024] the governor introduced a five-point plan using state resources to improve subway safety in the city.
..... The plan was implemented after several high-profile incidents occurred on the city's subway system, including a deadly shooting that broke out on an elevated train platform and a slashing attack that injuries a train conductor.
..... About 4 million trips are taken each weekday on the city's subway, where violent crime is relatively rare.
..... As of November, [2024] there had been nine homicides reported on the subway in 2024, compared to five in the same period in 22023, according to police data.
..... Contributing: Reuters.