A person of interest in the attack in Brooklyn was taken into custody later in the day, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at an early evening news conference.
Police said the person of interest came to the U.S. from Guatemala in 2018. So far, no charges have been filed, but investigators are still questioning him and trying to determine a motive.
Watch: NYPD press conference on woman lit on fire on subway train in BrooklynUsing images obtained from security cameras on the train, police and the public had a very clear picture of the man they were looking for. Tisch credited three high school-aged New Yorkers for seeing the person of interest and calling 911, leading to his capture.
NYPD describes how the attack happened
The person of interest was described as 5-foot-6, 150 pounds, approximately 25 to 30 years old, and was seen wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, grey wool hat, paint-splattered pants, and tan boots at the time of the attack.
Police said there appeared to be no interaction between the victim and her attacker before she was lit on fire.
An image from New York City police of a man suspected of lighting a woman on fire as she slept in a subway car and killing her on Dec. 22, 2024. NYPDThe person of interest stayed at the scene and was spotted sitting on a bench on the platform just outside the train car. He was later apprehended without incident on another train that was stopped at Herald Square, Tisch said.
"This is amazing work done by the public and the police working together. Once again, someone saw something, we got it out through technology in numerous ways, and we were able to make a quick arrest on this nothing less than heinous crime that occurred in our subway system," NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta said.
Please stay with CBS News New York for more on this developing story.
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