MANHATTAN, N.Y. (WPIX) – A man is accused of lighting a container on fire and throwing it at people in two separate incidents in New York City.
Nile Taylor, 49, was arrested on Saturday after police said he tossed a flammable substance at a 23-year-old man riding the subway around 2:47 p.m.
Sources told NewsNation affiliate WPIX that Taylor tried to escape after Saturday’s incident but was caught by police after allegedly stealing a cellphone that was tracked using the Find My iPhone app.
Police said Taylor is also responsible for an attack on Feb. 5, where he allegedly threw a fiery liquid at people at a subway station.
Taylor has been charged with the following in connection with both incidents, according to police: attempted assault, reckless endangerment, arson, assault, larceny, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of stolen property.
While violent crime is rare in the city’s subway system, which serves about 3 million riders a day, some high-profile attacks this year have left some riders on edge. They include the death of a man who was shoved onto the tracks in East Harlem in March and a few shootings.
Gov. Kathy Hochul in March announced that hundreds of National Guard members would be going into the subway system to boost security. City police said 800 more officers would be deployed to the subway to crack down on fare evasion.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.