Court records or official announcements from the New York District Attorney's Office

Sleeping Woman Set on Fire on F Train in Coney Island Dies; Suspect Arrested

Dec 22, 2024, 08:04 PM

New York City police are investigating the death of a woman who was set on fire while sleeping on an F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station on Sunday morning, December 22, 2024. The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. when a man, believed to be approximately 25 to 30 years old, allegedly threw a lit match onto the woman, causing her to burst into flames. The victim, who sources say may have been homeless, was surrounded by liquor bottles. Emergency responders arrived at the scene and pronounced her dead. No other passengers were injured. Surveillance images released by the NYPD show the suspect sitting on a bench watching the woman burn before fleeing the scene. The NYPD is treating the case as a homicide and had offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest. The suspect has since been arrested, and the investigation is ongoing. The victim's identity has not been released.