Police are investigating a suspicious fire on a Midtown subway train early on Monday in which a sleeping homeless man claimed he was set on fire.
Initial reports from police sources indicated that the man may have been set ablaze by an unidentified suspect; however, cops say that he recanted his story while undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
Police said the fiery attack occurred at 3:10 a.m. on Dec. 1 on board a Harlem-bound 3 train traveling between the 34th Street-Penn Station and Times Square-42nd Street stops.
Law enforcement sources said the 55-year-old man awoke to find that the lower part of his body was on fire. It is not clear, at this time, how the fire initially started, according to investigators.
The victim managed to exit the train at Times Square-42nd Street and seek assistance. An MTA worker flagged down officers from the Midtown North Precinct and NYPD Transit District 1, who came to the man’s aid.
Police said the victim sustained burns to the lower half of his body. He was conscious and alert at the time cops found him.
EMS rushed the man to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital for treatment. His injuries are not considered life-threatening.
The incident bore an eerie resemblance to a similar arson incident on board a train in Coney Island, Brooklyn, last December that shocked the city. In that case, a 33-year-old male suspect deliberately burned 57-year-old Debrina Kawam to death as she slept on board an F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station in a seemingly random attack.
The perpetrator, later identified as Sebastian Zapata-Calil, 33, was ultimately indicted on murder charges.
So far, no arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation into Monday’s incident.
Anyone with information regarding the incident can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
