Federal authorities stepped in on Wednesday and charged a man who set a woman on fire on a Chicago transit train with terrorism.
The federal charge against 50-year-old Lawrence Reed carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, The Associated Press said.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the 26-year-old woman was hospitalized in critical condition after the attack on Chicago’s blue line train downtown.
The incident took place just before 9:30 p.m. Monday as the train pulled into the Clark/Lake station. The suspect poured gasoline on the woman and lit it. He fled the train while the woman, who has not been named, ran off the train engulfed in flames.
Bystanders had extinguished the blaze by the time first responders arrived, but the victim was severely burned on her body and head.
Although witnesses said the suspect and the woman argued before the incident, federal court records say Reed doused her with gasoline from a plastic bottle without comment and tried to ignite it as she tried to fight him off, according to the AP. Surveillance video showed her running from one end of the train car to another, the affidavit says, before Reed lit the bottle he carried the gasoline in and used it to set the woman on fire.
Chicago police said Reed made incriminating statements after he was taken into custody, and he had burns on his right hand, the affidavit said.
Reed carried out the attack “with the intent to cause death and serious bodily injury to one or more persons” on the train, the affidavit said.
Reed was erratic during his initial court appearance on Wednesday, claiming he was guilty, a Chinese citizen, and that he wanted to represent himself.
Federal officials complained at a news conference that Reed should have been in jail because of “his violent criminal history and his pending criminal cases,” although they declined to say what those were.
“Reed had plenty of second chances by the criminal justice system and as a result you have an innocent victim in the hospital fighting for her life,” said ATF Special Agent Christopher Amon.
US Attorney Andrew Boutros said that if the victim dies, Reed would be eligible for the death penalty because he’s been charged in federal court. Illinois abolished the death penalty 14 years ago.
Reporters asked Boutros about Reed’s mental health. He replied that he wasn’t aware he’d ever been legally declared mentally incompetent.
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[Featured image: Chicago Transit Authority via AP]
