A quiet December morning on the New York City subway turned into an unspeakable horror when a sleeping woman was set on fire on an F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station. The brazen attack, happening at 7:30 AM on December 22, 2024, has left New Yorkers in anguish, anger, and grief as details unravel in the chilling crime.
According to eyewitness accounts, the victim, who has yet to be identified, female-slept in her seat when a male approached her. He immediately used a lighter to set her clothes on fire. As flames engulfed her body, the suspect calmly walked away and left the woman to die in a tragedy that sent shock even to seasoned police officers. The emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene shortly after they had arrived.
The attack has caused outrage not only for its brutality but also for its apparent randomness. So far, authorities have released no details about the woman, but initial reports indicate she was completely oblivious to any danger while she lay resting.
“She didn’t even get a chance to defend herself,”
one witness said.
“It’s just heartbreaking.”
The suspect, described as being between 25 and 30 years of age and approximately 5’6″ tall, was peculiarly calm immediately after his commission of the crime. Instead of fleeing the scene, he reportedly sat on a bench in the station as emergency responders battled to douse the fire. Body camera footage caught clear shots of him, and by afternoon, the NYPD had released them far and wide in hopes of knowing who the perpetrator of this heinous act was.
Later that same day, a group of high school students recognized the man from the footage and called in authorities. The tip led to his arrest and brought some relief to a city reeling from the violence. Investigators have classified the case as a homicide and are now working to uncover the motive of the suspect. Police say there is no indication he and the victim knew each other, a fact that adds to the unsettling randomness of the crime.
The attack has amplified growing concerns about subway safety for many New Yorkers. Violent crime in the subway system has been on the rise, with nine homicides reported so far in 2024—nearly double the five recorded during the same period last year. This latest tragedy has left commuters on edge.
“I don’t feel safe no more,”
said Maria Torres, a Brooklyn resident who takes the F train daily.
“If something like this can happen to someone just sleeping on a train, it could happen to any of us.”
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the attack as “depraved and unforgivable,” promising more security to safeguard subway riders. Yet advocates say the city’s response has to be deeper than policing, requiring investments in mental health services and preventative measures that reach the roots of such violence.
For now, there is mourning in the city for the victim-the woman whose name is presently unknown but whose tragic end already moved millions. It will probably be a painful reminder, the haunting thought of one being made to suffer at their most vulnerable state, asleep in the open, of how much more needs to get done to make New York City’s public area safer for all.
