New York City police investigate death of woman found on fire in subway car

New York City Police on Sunday were seeking a man they believe is connected to the early morning death of a woman who was sleeping on a stationary subway train before she was intentionally lit on fire.

Police said an unknown male had approached the woman, set her on fire and then left the subway car around 7:30 a.m.

Officers on a routine patrol at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station soon discovered the unidentified woman on fire, in the middle of the train, after they smelled smoke and noticed some commotion on the platform, said Detective Austin Glickman.

After the fire was extinguished, emergency medical personnel declared the unidentified woman dead at the scene, he said. No arrests have been made so far.

Police said in a written statement they are asking for the public’s assistance in the case, which is being investigated as a homicide. A reward up to $10,000 is being offered for information.

The man is described as approximately 25 to 30 years old, last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, a dark colored knit hat with a red band and brown boots.

The subway car was sitting idle at the end of the line at the time. Often, the doors are left open so the train cars can be cleaned or during a temporary pause in service.

The case marked the second fatality on a New York subway Sunday.

At 12:35 a.m., police responded to an emergency call for an assault in progress at the 61st Street-Woodside Station in Queens and found a 37-year-old man with a stab wound to his torso and a 26-year-old man with multiple slashes throughout his body. The older man was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital while the younger man was in stable condition, police said.

An investigation was continuing.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul this year has sent New York National Guard members to the city’s subway system to help police conduct random searches of riders’ bags for weapons following a series of high-profile crimes on city trains. Hochul recently deployed additional members to help patrol during the holiday season.