Police: Arrest made in fire that killed NYC subway driver
by The Associated Press
Last Updated Dec 18, 2020 at 3:42 pm EDT
NEW YORK A man suspected of setting a train fire that killed a New York City subway driver in March has been arrested and charged with murder, police said Friday.
Detectives linked Nathaniel Avinger, 50, to the fatal blaze after he was arrested Wednesday for allegedly groping a transit worker in Brooklyn.
Avinger remained in police custody Friday while awaiting arraignment in Manhattan on the murder charge. Online court records didn’t list an attorney representing Avinger in that matter. A message seeking comment was left with his lawyer in another pending case.
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Police Arrest Man in Connection With Subway Fire that Killed ‘Hero Train Operator A 36-year-old train operator from Brooklyn was found on the train roadbed and pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, police said
Published December 18, 2020 •
Updated on December 19, 2020 at 4:59 am
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What to Know
The NYPD arrested a man in connection with a subway fire that killed a 36-year-old train operator and injured 16 other people in March
Large plumes of smoke were seen billowing from grates above the station at 110th Street and Lenox Avenue in Manhattan at the time
Authorities have been investigating the fire as arson since
Arrest Made In Fatal Subway Arson That Killed Hero Motorman
arrow The burnt out 2 train Provided to Gothamist
The NYPD arrested a 50-year old Bronx man suspected of lighting a subway car on fire, killing the motorman, and injuring 16 riders.
Nathaniel Avinger was arrested at the Utica station in Brooklyn on Wednesday night for grabbing a woman. He was later charged with murder in the fatal subway fire.
Police released a grainy photo of the suspect in April, but had not made any arrests or released further information about the investigation until this week.
At the end of March, just after 3 a.m., a northbound 2 train erupted in flames as it neared the 110th Street station in Harlem. The operator, 36-year-old Garrett Goble, was reportedly helping passengers get off the train.