Teen Sets Fire to Man Sleeping on NYC Subway, Brags About It to Friends

Emmanuel Nicolas/Flickr
Emmanuel Nicolas/Flickr

A teenager allegedly set a Brooklyn man’s arm on fire on a New York City subway in Queens and boasted about it to his friends not long after.

The suspect, 18-year-old Christopher Jackson, is accused of lighting the sleeping 30-year-old man’s coat on fire at 2:30 a.m. in a nearly empty subway car, the Daily Mail reported.

When the victim, Piotr Olszewski, woke up to realize he was on fire, the suspect took out his cell phone to record a video, according to the New York Daily News.

“I just lit a man on fire,” Jackson said on his cell phone, according to a transit worker claiming to have overheard Jackson.

The transit worker called police and halted the train to ensure Jackson would not escape.

Police arrested Jackson on the scene for arson, reckless endangerment, and assault. He was arraigned Friday night and held on $50,000 bail.

Olszewski was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Hospital three miles away, where he was treated for second and third-degree burns.

Olszewski said he was completely engulfed in flames and smoke when he got off the train.

“I was screaming from the pain,” Olszewski told CBS New York. “He was enjoying it. He was still there next to me.”

Jackson has ten prior arrests on various charges, including damaging property by fire and reckless endangerment and assault, according to the New York Post.

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