In yet another act of random violence in the liberal sh*thole of New York City, a subway passenger was set on fire by a fellow commuter on Saturday, suffering burns to 30% of his body.
The victim, 23-year-old Petrit Alijaj, stated that the assailant, identified as 49-year-old Nile Taylor, threw a cup of flaming liquid at him while he was on his way to see the Statue of Liberty with his fiancée and cousin.
Alijaj, an Albanian native, told the New York Post that he jumped in front of his fiancée to protect her.
“I protect my fiancée with my body,” he told the New York Post.
According to The New York Post, Taylor was arrested a few blocks from the crime scene as he was trying to flee.
Police believe Taylor is the same man who threw cans of flaming liquid at subway passengers in February.
Watch:
NEW: SOMEONE IS THROWING CANS OF FIRE INSIDE NYC SUBWAY
— Suhr Majesty ™ (@ULTRA_MAJESTY) March 13, 2024
A suspect on camera throwing flaming cans at subway riders in NYC
Source: Police Frequency pic.twitter.com/zkG5Cf1Nqs
From the New York Post:
The deranged nut who tossed flaming liquid at an unsuspecting straphanger also tried to torch a group of commuters at a Manhattan subway station earlier this year, cops said Sunday.
Nile Taylor, 49 — who is in custody on an assault rap in the fiery Saturday afternoon attack on 23-year-old Petrit Alijaj at the Varick Street station in Manhattan — has now been charged over a similar Feb. 5 incident at the West 28th Street subway station, too, police said.
A man now identified as Taylor can be seen on surveillance footage in the February incident holding two cans of flammable liquid and hurling them at a group of people at the station.
No one was hurt in the incident, and the suspect fled and remained on the lam until now.
Around 2:45 p.m. Saturday, Alijaj and his fiancee were about to get off a No. 1 train at West Houston and Varick streets as they headed to the Statue of Liberty when Taylor allegedly hurled flaming liquid at him.
“I protect my fiancee with my body,” he said.
Alijaj ended up ripping off his burning shirt while his assailant fled the scene.
“I touched myself to put out the fire,” Alijaj recalled. “So, while I was running, I was burning.
“The doctors said 30% of my body was burnt. But I don’t think it is 30%. Maybe more like 10%,” he said.
The New York City subway system has become the backdrop for alarming random acts of violence. These incidents range from stabbings and slashings to brutal assaults and robberies, causing widespread concern among commuters and highlighting the urgent need for a renewed focus on public safety.
Below are just some of the incidents that Breaking Digest has reported over the past couple of years:
A man was arrested for stripping naked and attempting to rape a woman on a moving subway train in Manhattan.
A 78-year-old man was brutally beaten on a Manhattan subway after asking people to turn down music.
A man was attacked by an assailant wielding a samurai sword at a Manhattan subway station.
A gang of females clad in head-to-toe neon-green leotards stormed a New York City subway and robbed several teenagers.
A man was fatally stabbed on a New York City subway.
A 21-year-old woman visiting New York City from St. Louis, Missouri was raped on a subway platform.
A 14-year-old boy was fatally stabbed on a New York City subway platform over the summer.
A 15-year-old boy was fatally shot after a dispute escalated into violence on a New York City subway.
A mom of five was brutally attacked at a Queens subway station by a homeless maniac who had 7 prior arrests.
A 43-year-old man was fatally stabbed on the L train after a dispute.
A graduate student of NYU was pushed to her death onto the tracks at a Times Square subway station.