MANHATTAN, N.Y. A man has been accused of igniting a container and hurling it at individuals in two different incidents in New York City.
Nile Taylor, 49, was taken into custody on Saturday after authorities reported he threw a flammable substance at a 23-year-old man on the subway around 2:47 p.m.
According to sources from WPIX, Taylor attempted to flee following Saturday’s incident but was apprehended by police after allegedly stealing a cellphone that was tracked using the Find My iPhone app.
Authorities indicated Taylor is also responsible for an incident on Feb. 5, wherein he purportedly tossed a flaming liquid at people in a subway station.
Taylor has been charged with several offenses related to both incidents, including attempted assault, reckless endangerment, arson, assault, larceny, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of stolen property, police said.
While violent crime remains infrequent in the city’s subway system, which accommodates around 3 million riders daily, some prominent attacks this year have made some passengers uneasy. Notable incidents include the fatal shoving of a man onto the tracks in East Harlem in March and several shootings.
In March, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that hundreds of National Guard members would be deployed to the subway system to enhance security. Additionally, city police stated that 800 more officers would be assigned to the subway to curb fare evasion.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
