Man arrested after throwing 'flammable substance' at stranger in NYC subway station and setting his shirt on fire, police say

CNN
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A man was arrested after police accused him of throwing a “flammable substance” at a stranger, setting his shirt on fire in a New York City subway station.

Nile Taylor, 49, faces eight charges, including assault, arson and reckless endangerment, after throwing an unknown flammable substance that ignited the 23-year-old victim's shirt, according to the New York Police Department. The suspect was unknown to the victim, police said.

The incident occurred around 2:45 p.m. Saturday as a train stopped at the Houston Street station in Manhattan. The suspect fled the scene but was later arrested nearby, New York police said.

The victim, a man, suffered a burn to his upper torso and remains in stable condition after being transported to a hospital, police said.

On Sunday, police said a 22-year-old woman was also injured, but the condition and injuries were unclear.

Taylor is a suspect in what the New York Police Department said was a similar incident earlier this year.

Police said Taylor was arrested separately on Sunday in connection with the incident on the evening of February 5, in which he is accused of throwing a “lit container of flammable liquid” at a group of people standing on the platform of the southbound 1 train at the West 28th Street station in Manhattan, the New York Police Department said in March.

Taylor faces charges of attempted assault, reckless endangerment and arson following the incident, the New York Police Department said. No injuries were reported.

The New York Police Department had no information on the suspect's possible motives in either incident.

Police said it was not yet known when the suspect would appear in court, or whether he had retained a lawyer. CNN attempted to identify an attorney for Taylor.