Woman Set on Fire on Chicago Train
On Monday night, a 26-year-old woman was set ablaze by a man during an incident on a Chicago train. This follows a separate stabbing that occurred not long ago, where another passenger was attacked at a local station, according to police reports.
The 45-year-old suspect allegedly poured a flammable liquid on the woman after a heated dispute on a Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train near Clark and Lake Streets around 9:25 p.m. Multiple accounts confirm this situation, as stated by the Chicago police.
After the train halted at the Clark/Lake Station, the assailant exited the train. The victim, severely burned, managed to stumble out of the carriage, and by the time authorities arrived, the flames had been extinguished, as noted by local news.
She was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, dealing with extensive burns across her body.
A witness described the scene, stating, “I just saw her lying on the ground, hyperventilating and in so much pain.” They added, “We could see that she was in very bad condition. All the medical personnel were on scene, and there were a lot of responders.”
Following the attack, service on the Blue Line was paused for several hours, but it returned to normal operations by Tuesday morning.
Later that day, authorities reported that they had detained a person of interest, though the investigation remains ongoing.
This violent incident comes just over a week after another attack, where a 27-year-old woman was stabbed in the chest by a man wielding a knife while she sat at the UIC Halstead Blue Line station on November 10. She sustained cuts to her chest and was also taken to a nearby hospital.
The assailant from that incident fled and is still at large.
This latest event is part of a concerning trend, occurring nearly three months after a fatal stabbing in Charlotte, North Carolina, where 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown Jr. allegedly killed Ukrainian refugee Irina Zartuksa in an unprovoked attack on a Lynx Blue Line train.
Brown, who has a history of homelessness and mental health issues, was arrested and faced charges connected to this incident.
