Man Sets Woman Ablaze on Chicago Train

A woman is in critical condition after a horrifying attack on Chicago's "L" train, where a man doused her with a flammable liquid and set her on fire, according to police. The incident unfolded around 9:30pm on Monday after a verbal dispute between the 26-year-old victim and a man described as about 45 years old escalated into violence, NBC Chicago reports. Authorities say the suspect poured the unidentified liquid on the woman and ignited it during the confrontation. The victim suffered severe burns across her body and was transported to Stroger Hospital, where she remains in critical condition. The suspect fled the train when it stopped.

Police said the woman stumbled out of the train at the Clark and Lake stop and fell to the ground, the AP reports. A witness told NBC Chicago that the victim appeared to be in a "really bad state" as paramedics loaded her into an ambulance. "I just saw a lady that was laying in the ground, and they were trying to give her CPR," the witness said. "And she looked like she was in an awful lot of pain." The attack led to significant disruptions on the train line, with service halted for several hours before resuming around 1:30am. Chicago police said Tuesday that a person of interest is in custody, ABC News reports.