Police in Brooklyn have a person of interest in custody for the depraved killing of a woman who was set on fire as she was on board an F train, burning her to death on Sunday morning.
Transit officers took the suspect into custody Sunday afternoon after New Yorkers recognized him from NYPD surveillance photos that were issued to the media. Law enforcement sources said the suspect, whose name is yet to be released, is a 33-year-old migrant and who lives in a shelter.
The horrifying incident occurred on board a stationary F train in Coney Island’s Stillwell Avenue subway station at around 7:30 a.m. on Dec. 22.
According to early reports, the victim was asleep on the train when the unhinged man lit her on fire. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a press conference that the suspect used a lighter to ignite the victim’s clothing, immediately engulfing her in flames.
Sources in a New York Post article said the victim was found with liquor bottles strewn about her, though it was not immediately clear if the perp used them in the horrific attack.
Officers from the 60th Precinct and Transit District 34 who were patrolling the platform above rushed to the scene after smelling smoke. The discovered the woman fully engulfed in flames and immediately extinguished the fire, Tisch said.
Despite the officers’ efforts, EMS pronounced the woman dead at the scene.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the officers, the perp was sitting on a bench outside the train, looking in at the victim as flames consumed her body.
Tisch explained that three quick-thinking high school students recognized the perp from the surveillance photos and called 911.
“Other transit officers responded to that 911 call, and also spotted the man, wearing the same grey hoodie, distinct wool hat, paint-splattered pants and tan boots already on another moving train,” Tisch explained. “Police radioed ahead to have the trains stopped.”
Officers from Transit District 2 walked through each car of the stopped train until they located and arrested the suspect without further incident, Tisch said.
“I want to thank the young people who called 911 to help. They saw something, the said something, and they did something,” the commissioner said. “This is an example of great technology and even greater old-fashioned police work with a huge assist from the public.”
Police described the suspect as being 5 foot, six inches tall, approximately 25 to 30 years old and weighs around 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, a dark-colored knit hat with a red band, and brown boots.
F train service was suspended in both directions between Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue and either Church Avenue or Kings Highway through the early afternoon. As of 3:45 p.m., F trains resumed regular service with severe delays.
Police have not identified the victim yet. The investigation remains ongoing.
