A suspect has been arrested in New York in connection with the death of a woman who was set on fire on a Brooklyn subway train.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the incident that occurred on Sunday as “one of the most horrific crimes that one person can commit against another human being.”
She said the woman was sleeping on a fixed F train heading to Brooklyn when the suspect approached her and used a lighter to ignite her clothes.
The victim died at the scene, she said, adding that the suspect was taken into custody after being detained on another subway train.
Police said the woman, whose name has not been released, was sleeping in a subway car at the Coney Island-Stilwell Avenue station in Brooklyn around 07:30 local time (12:30 GMT) when a man approached her.
Police said there was no interaction prior to the attack, adding that they did not believe the two people knew each other.
The man got off the train as police officers patrolling the station rushed to the fire.
“What they saw was someone standing inside the train car completely engulfed in flames,” Tish said.
Police are still working to determine the identity of the victim and the motive behind the attack.
