Police Arrest Suspect in Coney Island Subway Fire Bombing That Killed Homeless Woman
Police arrested a man on Sunday morning who allegedly set a homeless woman on fire in a Brooklyn subway car, leaving her to die a horrific death while he watched. The brutal crime was captured on video, which shows the woman standing near the door of a stopped F train at the Coney-Island-Stillwell Ave. station, burning alive, while the suspect sits on a bench on the platform just a few feet away, seemingly unaffected.
The suspect was identified as someone who had immigrated to the U.S. from Guatemala in 2018. According to officials, the victim and suspect did not have a prior interaction, and the crime appears to be a senseless and brutal act of violence.
The incident occurred at around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, December 22, when the suspect allegedly set the woman on fire. Witnesses reported seeing the woman standing inside the train car, fully engulfed in flames, while the suspect sat on a bench on the platform. The flames were eventually extinguished with the help of an MTA employee and a fire extinguisher, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The crime was discovered by detectives who were on patrol in the area and responded to reports of smoke and flames. The suspect was arrested after three teenagers recognized him from police body cameras and called 911.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the crime as “macabre” and “a brutal and vicious act of violence.” The suspect is expected to face charges related to murder, and the NYPD is working with the DA’s office to ensure that he receives fair and just punishment for his actions. The incident has sent shockwaves through the community, with many expressing outrage and disbelief at the senseless and heinous crime.