A woman set fire to a 70-year-old man Saturday in Pasadena, California, according to local officials.
The woman, who has not yet been identified and appears to be homeless, said something to the male passenger of the local Metro system, according to Ramon Montenegro, a spokesman for the sheriff’s Transit Services Bureau. He ignored it. She then proceeded to spray him with a flammable liquid and used a lighter to set him on fire, The Los Angeles Times reported.
A woman who appeared to be homeless set a 70-year-old Metro rail passenger on fire in an unprovoked attack in Pasadena over the weekend, officials said.https://t.co/SuJzfFg4Zu
— Emily Hoeven (@emily_hoeven) May 12, 2022
Nearby passengers helped put out the flames using their jackets and other items.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded to the assault at about 10:55 pm Saturday night and arrested the woman, according to the L.A. Times.
The victim was transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition, the L.A. Times reported.
The suspect and victim do not seem to know each other, according to the L.A. Times.
“This unprovoked attack is shocking,” said Los Angeles County supervisor and Metro director Kathryn Barger, who represents the area. “It speaks to the need to have public safety officials on-site at Metro stations.” (RELATED: San Francisco Spent $160 Million Only To Have Homeless People Die In Rat Infested Hotels).
On the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s bus and rail system, violent crime has increased 81% during the first two months of 2022, the L.A. Times reported. In addition, several Metro workers say they have been threatened and sometimes assaulted by homeless people, as an increase in the homeless population on the metro system has surged, according to the L.A. Times.