Man Charged With Setting a New York City Subway Rider on Fire

Authorities said on Sunday that a man has been charged with assault, along with other charges, for setting a container of flammable liquid on fire and throwing it at a subway passenger in New York City.

Nile Taylor, who is 49 years old, was taken into custody on Saturday. He allegedly threw a flammable substance at a 23-year-old man at a subway station in lower Manhattan, according to the New York Police Department as reported by USA TODAY. According to the police, he has been charged with multiple crimes, including attempted assault, assault, arson, reckless endangerment, petty larceny, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of stolen property. These charges are related to the two incidents.

According to the police, Taylor was also the one who committed a similar attack in early February. Last month, PIX 11 News reported that the police were looking for a man who supposedly threw a cup of flammable liquid at people on a subway platform in Manhattan on February 5th. There were no injuries in the incident.

New York City has experienced a decrease in overall crime during the first quarter of 2024, according to data from the NYPD. However, officials have expressed concern about several violent incidents that have occurred on the city’s subway system, which has made residents feel uneasy. There have been several shootings in the past few months, as well as an incident in late February where a train conductor was attacked and had his neck slashed. In March, a man was pushed onto the tracks and died.

In March, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York announced that she would be sending hundreds of National Guard members to busy train stations to provide extra security. Last month, the New York Police Department (NYPD) announced that an additional 800 officers were sent to the subway system to address the issue of fare evasion.

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Victim sustained burns after his shirt was set on fire

A 23-year-old subway passenger was injured when Taylor threw a flammable substance on him as a subway train was arriving at the station, according to the police. The passenger suffered burns to his upper torso. The liquid that was on fire also made the person’s shirt start burning.

According to the police, the victim was taken to New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center for treatment. He told the New York Post that he protected his fiancee and cousin from the burning liquid and used his hands to put out the flames by slapping himself.

He said that doctors informed him that he had burns on approximately 30% of his body. “He had a cup with something inside, like oil. He made fire and threw it all,” the victim told the Post. According to police sources, Taylor was arrested shortly after the incident when the police tracked a phone that he allegedly stole.