New York City subway rider burned after man threw flaming liquid on train

NEW YORK — A man on a New York City subway was burned when a fellow rider doused him in flaming liquid that set his shirt on fire. 

The attack happened on a train at the Houston Street station in Lower Manhattan on Saturday afternoon, police sources told CBS New York.

Officials said a suspect, a 49-year-old man, was in custody. There was no word on a possible motive. 

The victim, 23, was recovering at the hospital. He was listed in stable condition. 

The suspect was arrested a short time after he fled the station. Police said he also stole a woman’s cellphone after she dropped it near a turnstile on his way out. 

Police have not announced charges against the man, and it was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer to respond to the allegations.

NYC cracking down on subway crimes

While violent crime is rare in the New York City subway system, which serves about 3 million riders per day, there have been some high-profile attacks, including the death of a man who was shoved onto the tracks in East Harlem in March. 

Earlier this year, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced hundreds of National Guard members would be going into the subway system to boost security. NYPD said 800 more officers would be deployed to the subway to crack down on fare evasion. 

Around the same time, city officials announced plans to use weapon detection technology in the subway after they said crime in the transit system was up 4% in 2024 compared to 2023.