A man suspected of burning a woman alive on Sunday in the subway in Brooklyn was arrested by New York police, who denounced “one of the most depraved crimes” that a person can commit.
The man “calmly approached the victim” on the F train in Brooklyn and set his clothes on fire Sunday morning, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference. held later in the day.
“The suspect used what we believe to be a lighter to ignite the victim's clothing, which caught fire within seconds,” she said, adding that police responded quickly and the fire was put out. with a fire extinguisher.
“Unfortunately, it was too late and the victim died on the spot.”
By analyzing camera footage from the scene, police obtained a clear image of the suspect, as he “had remained at the scene and was sitting on a bench on the dock”, Ms Tisch said.
After releasing his image, police received a tip from three high school students and arrested the suspect at a Manhattan station.
The identities of the suspect and victim have not been released, but police official Joseph Gulotta said there was “no interaction between the two at the time of the incident.”
“We don’t believe they knew each other,” he added during the press conference.
He said the suspect immigrated to the United States from Guatemala in 2018.
