Man Accused Of Setting Woman On Fire Had 70 Prior Arrests, Told Victim To 'Burn Alive': Reports

CHICAGO, IL — A 50-year-old man accused of setting a woman on fire on a CTA train in a "barbaric assault" has more than 70 prior arrests, according to multiple media reports. Lawrence Reed faced a detention hearing Friday, as Cook County prosecutors sought to have him detained until trial under the SAFE-T Act.

"This horrific attack was not just a barbaric assault on an innocent woman riding a train, but an act of terrorism that strikes at the core of our American way of life," U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros said in a news release after his arrest.

Reed is charged with committing a terrorist attack against a mass transportation system, an offense punishable with up to life in prison.

On Monday night, police said a 26-year-old woman was involved in a verbal altercation with Reed. Then, they say, he approached her as she was seated on the train with her back toward him, and poured gasoline all over her head and body before he ignited a bottle and used it to light her on fire as she ran.

The woman was engulfed in flames but was able to get off the train, according to authorities, who said Reed fled when the train stopped. The fire was extinguished before an officer arrived, police have said, and the woman was hospitalized with critical injuries.

Police said Reed had purchased gasoline, putting it in a hand-held container, at a Citgo station about 20 minutes before the attack.

Reed, who was captured on surveillance footage, was arrested several hours after the attack. He was wearing the same clothing he had worn when he lit the woman on fire, federal prosecutors said, and had fire-related injuries to his right hand. He also had a CTA transit card, which had been used to board a CTA Blue Line train minutes before the attack, prosecutors allege.

According to Chicago police reports and body-worn camera footage, once in custody, Reed "made repeated spontaneous and unprompted utterances," yelling "burn b***h" and "burn alive b***h."

Reed "had more than 70 prior arrests to his name" before the attack, the New York Post reported. At the time of the arson attack, he was on electronic monitoring stemming from accusations that he had attacked a hospital social worker, knocking them unconscious, in August, the outlet said. Fox Chicago reported that Reed's 30-year criminal record includes several arson charges, at least 72 arrests and about 15 convictions.

On Thursday, prosecutors asked a judge to deny release for Reed under the SAFE-T Act, saying he poses "a serious danger to everyone in the community" and has "consistently re-offended."

At a court appearance earlier this week, prosecutors say Reed was "singing, babbling, and instructing the Court to not speak to him," and told the court "he wanted to go home," Fox reported.