A 26-year-old woman was set on fire in Chicago by a repeat offender with a long criminal history.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy responded sharply to the incident by saying that the attack “would never have happened if the suspect had been behind bars,” and accusing Chicago authorities of failing to keep dangerous individuals off the streets.
The attack occurred on the Blue Line on November 17th, at around 9:30 p.m. Surveillance footage shows the assailant approaching the woman—identified as Bethany MaGee—from behind, dousing her with a flammable liquid and igniting it. Prosecutors say MaGee had been looking at her phone when the suspect carried out the assault.
After the young woman was seriously burned she managed to escape the train and reach the platform before collapsing. She remains in critical condition with severe injuries to her face and body.
The suspect, 50-year-old Lawrence Reed, was arrested on Monday, November 24th. According to authorities, he has a lengthy criminal record spanning decades, with more than 70 arrests and multiple convictions, including previous assaults on women. In August, Reed was accused of knocking a social worker unconscious at a psychiatric clinic but a judge ruled he could remain free under electronic monitoring rather than being jailed.
The case has drawn comparisons to the killing of Iryna Zarutska, another high-profile attack involving a previously convicted offender, which similarly prompted calls from federal officials for stricter penalties for offenders.
