Woman Burned Alive While Sleeping on Brooklyn F Train; suspect at large

Brooklyn police have a person of interest in custody in the depraved slaying of a woman who was set on fire while aboard an F trainand burned her to death on Sunday morning.

Transit officers took the suspect into custody Sunday afternoon after New Yorkers recognized him from NYPD surveillance footage released to the media. Law enforcement sources said the suspect, whose name has not yet been released, is a 33-year-old migrant who lives in a shelter.

The horrific incident occurred aboard a stationary F train in Coney Island’s Stillwell Avenue subway station around 7.30 on 22 December.

According to early reports, the victim was asleep on the train when the unhung man set her on fire. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a news conference that the suspect used a lighter to ignite the victim’s clothing and immediately engulf her in flames.

Sources in a New York Post the article said the victim was found with liquor bottles strewn about him, although it was not immediately apparent clear if the perpetrator used them in the horrific attack.

Officers from 60th district and Transit District 34, patrolling the platform above, rushed to the scene after smelling smoke. They discovered the woman was 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 perpetrator sat on a bench outside the train and peered in at the victim as the flames consumed her body.

Tisch explained that three quick-thinking high school students recognized the assailant from the surveillance footage and called 911.

“Other transit officers responded to that 911 call and also spotted the man wearing the same gray hoodie, plain wool hat, paint splattered pants and tan boots already on another moving train,” Tisch explained. “The police radioed in advance to stop the trains.”

Transit District 2 officers went 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, they 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 tremendous help from the public.”

Police described the suspect as 5 footsix inches tall, approximately 25 to 30 years old and weights about 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a gray hoodie, 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. From At 15.45 the F trains resumed regular operation with serious delays.

Police have not yet identified the victim. The investigation is still ongoing.