Man Throws Flaming Liquid on NYC Subway Passenger, Police Report
NEW YORK – A man is charged with Saturday afternoon’s alleged subway rider fire, and the NYPD claims the same man was responsible for a similar incident a few months prior.
Officers responded at the Houston Street station in response to a call regarding an attack occurring on the one-line platform. They discovered that Alijaj Petrit, 23, had been severely burned and had taken off his shirt.
According to investigators, a 49-year-old homeless guy named Nile Taylor tossed a combustible substance at the victim without any apparent cause before running away.
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Taylor is being charged with attempted assault, reckless endangerment, and arson after being detained close to the Holland Tunnel. According to the police, the patient is likely to live while receiving treatment at New York-Presbyterian.
Chloe Leone, a subway rider, described the reported incident as “horrific.”
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Investigators allege that back in February, Taylor hurled a lit canister of flammable liquid at a group of individuals gathered at the West 28th Street station’s northbound 1 train platform. Nobody was harmed.
NYC is toughening up on crimes on subways
Although there aren’t many violent crimes amid the roughly 3 million daily users of the subway system, there have been a few high-profile incidents, such as the guy who was pushed onto the tracks in East Harlem and died in March.
Governor Kathy Hochul declared earlier this year that in order to increase security, hundreds of National Guard personnel would be entering the subway system. In an effort to combat fee evasion, the NYPD announced that 800 extra policemen would be stationed at subway stations.
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Around the same time, city officials revealed their intentions to install weapon-detection equipment in the subway system, citing a 4% increase in crime in 2024 over 2023.
Riders on the subway said they are constantly alert.
Like other rail riders, Leone claimed to always have her head turned to one side when she is underground.
“Hopefully, people are traveling in pairs so they can stay safe,” Leone stated. “My prayers are with the burned individual. It’s truly tragic.”
“You just have to be alert and keep your eyes open,” Leone said commuters who are forced to take the subways.
“Everything happens with crazy abandon. It’s terrible. I use this train frequently,” remarked another woman. “New York City is where we are. We seem to be taking a chance on it every day.”