News

An unidentified woman was set on fire in a New York City subway train on Sunday.

According to the BBC, a man has been arrested in connection to the fatal incident, which Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch called “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being.”

Details on the incident and the station where it happened

Tisch shared that the woman was in a stopped subway carriage at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station at around 7:30 a.m. when a man came up to her and used a lighter to set her clothing on fire. The garments were “fully engulfed in a matter of seconds.” The woman was “motionless” after the attack, and detectives are looking into whether she was asleep at the time of the attack.

“We’re not 100% sure,” the New York Police Department’s Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta said.

Did the victim know her alleged attacker?

Gulotta explained that there was “no interaction” between the victim and her alleged attacker, leading authorities to believe the two didn’t know each other before the incident. He also shared how officers were alerted to the attack.

“Officers were on patrol on an upper level of that station, smelled and saw smoke and went to investigate,” Tisch added.

The officers found “a person standing inside the train car fully engulfed in flames” and jumped into action. While they managed to extinguish the flames, the victim died at the scene.

Is there a known motive for the incident?

Authorities are still investigating the matter in hopes of determining a motive for the attack, and charges were yet to be filed at the time of publishing. The only thing known about the suspect is that he emigrated to the United States from Guatemala in 2018, USA Today reported.

The suspect exited the train as authorities rushed to the woman. Officers didn’t believe that he went much further than the area.

“Unbeknownst to the officers who responded, the suspect had stayed on the scene and was seated on a bench on the platform just outside the train car,” Tisch said.

Police got “very clear, detailed” images of the man from the responding officers’ body cameras, which were analyzed and shared by the NYPD.

After seeing the images of the man, three teenagers called 911 after seeing him on another subway train. The tip helped officers locate the perpetrator and take him into police custody. They found a lighter in his pocket when arresting him.

“I want to thank the young people who called 911 to help,” Tisch said. “They saw something, they said something and they did something.”

According to CBS News, anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can be submitted on their website or via DM on X, formerly Twitter, @NYPDTips.

On Friday, the IRS declared that “as part of continuing efforts to help taxpayers, the Internal Revenue Service today announced plans to issue automatic payments later this month to eligible people who did not claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on […]

Christmas is fast approaching, and many are preparing to travel to visit loved ones or host their own gatherings at home. For some, spending quality time at a favorite restaurant can be just as enjoyable. Thankfully, there are plenty of great options to explore this year.

Denzel Washington just got baptized and is now a licensed minister.

He was baptized on Saturday at Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. Not only was he baptized and received his certificate of baptism, but he also received his minister’s license, which will allow him to be ordained in the future, per Today.com.

Talking about the momentous occasion, Washington told the crowd in attendance, as reported by Today.com: “In one week I turn 70. It took a while, but I’m here.”

Washington talks about a prophecy that has come true

He also talked about a moment he had when meeting a woman named Ruth Green when he was 20. The woman was at his mother’s beauty parlor when she told him he would preach to people one day.

Washington explained the moment, saying, “She said, ‘Boy, you are going to travel the world and preach to millions of people.’ She wouldn’t even spell the word prophecy. My mother wrote the word prophecy…50 years later, look at God. If He can do this for me, there’s nothing He can’t do for you. The sky literally is the limit and there’s no limit to the sky.”

Pauletta Washington spoke about her husband

He also thanked his wife, Pauletta Washington, who was in attendance.

“Forty-six years later, here I’m still standing next to him as only God will have it,” said Pauletta, as reported by Page Six. “So, I’m very proud of you. You are the head of our house and you have set a great example for our children, who are now adult children who know the difference because we have shown them the difference.”

“To God be the glory. Hallelujah!” Denzel said later on. “Anything I can do, I will do for this church, the Almighty. I just want to be in that number when the saints go marching in.”

The baptism and ceremony was livestreamed on Facebook, and can be viewed below:

Vocalist Alfa Anderson, of the iconic band Chic, has died at age 78. Anderson, who was the lead singer for the band, sang on his tracks such as “Good Times” and “Le Freak.”  The singer’s bandmate Nile Rodgers paid tribute to Anderson with a heartfelt post on Instagram.

“Thank you for everything,” Rodgers wrote on Tuesday.

Two U.S. Navy pilots in a fighter jet were accidentally shot down in a “friendly fire” incident over the Red Sea on Sunday, according to the U.S. military. Both pilots were safely ejected and recovered, while one suffered minor injuries.

Rickey Henderson, an MLB and Oakland Athletics great who is often called one of the greatest baseball players of all time, has died. He was 65 and was just shy of turning 66 on Christmas Day.

In their obituary, ESPN called Henderson “the greatest leadoff hitter and base stealer in Major League Baseball history.” He was also called the “Man of Steal” for his steals.

“A legend on and off the field, Rickey was a devoted son, dad, friend, grandfather, brother, uncle, and a truly humble soul,” reads a statement from his wife Pamela and three daughters as they confirmed his death Saturday evening. “Rickey lived his life with integrity, and his love for baseball was paramount. Now, Rickey is at peace with the Lord, cherishing the extraordinary moments and achievements he leaves behind.”

Henderson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.

MLB commissioner’s statement

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said that Henderson was “the gold standard of base stealing and leadoff hitting.”

His statement reads, “Rickey epitomized speed, power and entertainment in setting the tone at the top of the lineup. When we considered new rules for the game in recent years, we had the era of Rickey Henderson in mind,” Manfred said, referencing recent rule changes that have encouraged more stolen base attempts. “Rickey earned universal respect, admiration and awe from sports fans. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my deepest condolences to Rickey’s family, his friends and former teammates, A’s fans and baseball fans everywhere.”

What was Rickey Henderson’s cause of death?

According to USA Today, Henderson died after “a battle with pneumonia.” The family, who didn’t initially confirm a cause of death, thanked “the doctors and nurses at UCSF hospital, which they said cared for Henderson with ‘dedication and compassion,’” per ESPN.

Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this time.