A woman died after being set on fire in a subway train

In New York, a suspect has been arrested in the case of the death of a woman who was set on fire on a subway train in Brooklyn.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described Sunday’s incident as “one of the most depraved crimes that one person can commit against another.”

She said the woman was on the F train heading to Brooklyn when she was approached by a man who lit her clothes on fire with a lighter.

The victim died at the scene, she said, adding that the suspect was taken into custody after being apprehended on another subway train.

Police said the woman, whose name has not been released, was in a subway car at the Coney Island Stilwell Avenue station in Brooklyn around 07:30 local time (12:30 GMT) when a man approached her.

There was no interaction before the attack, police said, adding that they do not believe the two men knew each other.

The man got off the train when police officers patrolling the station rushed to the fire.

“Officers were patrolling the upper level of this station and smelled and saw smoke and went to investigate,” Ms Tisch said.

“They saw a man standing in a train car completely engulfed in flames.”

Police are still investigating the identity of the victim and the motive for the attack.

“Unbeknownst to the responding officers, the suspect remained at the scene and was sitting on a bench on the platform next to the car,” Ms Tisch added.

She explained that responding officers were able to get a “very clear, detailed” view of the man, and the images were shared by the New York Police Department (NYPD).

Three middle-school-aged New Yorkers later called 911 to say they recognized the suspect on another train, Ms. Tisch told reporters.

The man was then found and arrested after officers boarded the train and walked through the subway cars.

Joseph Gulotta of the NYPD said detectives are still trying to determine whether the victim was asleep when she was set on fire.

“She’s definitely there, she’s still,” Mr Gulotta added.

“So to say whether she’s asleep or not, we’re not 100% sure, but it seems like she’s motionless in that spot.

“There is no interaction between them. And when there is an incident, there is no interaction between them.”