A suspect accused of setting a person on fireplace in Occasions Sq. has fled to Egypt, in accordance with the New York Police Division.
On March 16, 2025, Mark Whyte, 45, was left in essential however secure situation with extreme burns after being lit on fireplace by an attacker.
The NYPD has recognized the suspect as a 23-year-old meals cart employee, however his identify has not been formally launched.
Police say the suspect and Whyte, a membership promoter, had bought into an argument at roughly 4 a.m.
The suspect allegedly grabbed a gasoline canister from a close-by meals cart, coated Whyte with the gas, and set him on fireplace.
‼️NYC Man Set On Hearth‼️
Whereas strolling in Occasions Sq. along with his girlfriend the sufferer was set ablaze. The suspect continues to be at giant.
That is Kathy Hochul’s secure metropolis. Do you suppose Hochul must go, Sure or No?
— GrannysGems (@Roby73705910) March 16, 2025
Whyte reportedly ran about 100 ft whereas engulfed in flames earlier than a bystander put it out with a hearth extinguisher.
The aftermath of the assault was filmed by a witness and posted on social media.
Whyte obtained burns on his face, chest, torso, neck, and again. First responders transported him to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Heart, the place he stays being handled.
It’s believed that the 2 males could have identified one another, however a motive for the assault has not been made public.
By the point police named the employee as a suspect, he had already left the US on a flight to Egypt.
It has not been introduced if the U.S. will search extradition of the suspect presently.
