Victim Hospitalized With Severe Burns in Incident That Mirrors Fatal Subway Arson
A 45-year-old man was hospitalized with severe burns after being set on fire in New York City’s Times Square early Sunday morning, according to police. The disturbing incident, occurring in one of the city’s most iconic locations, has heightened concerns about violent crime in the metropolis.
Authorities are currently searching for the assailant, who fled the scene after dousing the victim with an accelerant and setting him alight. The attack bears unsettling similarities to a fatal subway arson that occurred just three months earlier.
Horrific scene unfolds in early morning hours
Emergency responders discovered the victim engulfed in flames around 4 a.m., as captured in footage showing authorities rushing a shirtless, severely burned man into an ambulance after extinguishing the blaze, The Guardian reported.
Fire marshals later revealed to the New York Post that the attacker had used an accelerant from a Patron tequila bottle before igniting the victim. In a desperate attempt to save himself, the burning man ran approximately 100 feet west until a Good Samaritan jumped from a vehicle and extinguished the flames using a powder fire extinguisher.
The victim was transported to a nearby hospital, where he remains in stable condition. Investigators have not yet determined whether the assault was random or targeted.
Concerns over public safety in famous tourist district
The attack has reignited debates about public safety in one of the world’s most renowned tourist destinations. Resident Anne Lee, 26, expressed concern about security in the area during early morning hours.
“Yeah, it’s pretty scary before 8 or 9 a.m.,” said Lee. “There are no cops on these blocks at all. These side streets. They’re really only on the avenues, and they only give directions to tourists.”
The incident comes amid intensifying political debate over crime in New York City, with street violence expected to be a central issue in the upcoming mayoral election.
Former state governor and mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo has characterized the city as “out of control” and promised to add 5,000 more police officers if elected. However, current Mayor Eric Adams has pushed back against this narrative, arguing that the issue stems not from insufficient police presence but from bail reform laws signed during Cuomo’s governorship.
“Stop saying our city is in ‘chaos and crisis’! It is not,” Adams declared last week, pointing to statistics showing an overall downward trend in crime rates.
Echoes of recent tragedy
Sunday’s arson attack comes just three months after a horrific incident in which 57-year-old Debrina Kawam was fatally set on fire in a subway car. That case shocked New Yorkers and intensified concerns about public safety in the transit system.
Sebastian Zapeta, identified as a Guatemalan migrant worker, was arrested and charged with murder and arson in connection with Kawam’s death. According to police, Zapeta remained at the scene as the victim burned to death and was found with a lighter in his possession.
In response to that earlier incident, the mayor’s office stated: “Lighting another human being on fire and watching them burn alive reflects a level of evil that cannot be tolerated.”
As the investigation into this latest attack continues, residents and visitors alike remain on edge, wondering if these incidents signal a disturbing new trend in violent crime in New York City.