A man has been arrested in New York in connection with the death of a woman who was set on fire in a subway train in Brooklyn.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the incident on Sunday as “one of the worst crimes that a human being can commit against another human being.”

She said the woman was on a stationary F train bound for Brooklyn when she was approached by a man who set her clothing on fire with a lighter.

The victim died at the scene, she said, adding that the suspect was arrested on a tip from a group of high school students while riding the subway later on Sunday.

Police said the woman, whose name was not given, was in a subway car at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn around 7:30 a.m. local time (12:30 GMT) when a man approached her came.

There was no interaction before the attack, police said, adding they did not believe the two people knew each other.

The man got off the train as police patrolling the station rushed towards the fire.

“Officers were patrolling an upper level of this station, smelled and saw smoke and went to investigate,” Ms. Tisch said.

“What they saw was a person standing in the train car completely engulfed in flames.”

Police are still working to identify the victim and the motive for the attack.

“Unbeknownst to the officers who responded, the suspect remained at the scene, sitting on a bench on the platform directly in front of the train car,” Ms. Tisch added.

She explained that responding officers were able to get a “very clear and detailed” look at the man and the images were distributed by the New York Police Department (NYPD).

Later, three high school-aged New Yorkers called 911 to report that they recognized the suspect on another train, Ms. Tisch told reporters.

The man was then located after officers boarded the train and walked through the subway cars.

He was arrested at Herald Square Station, located near the Empire State Building in Manhattan.

The police commissioner said the man was found with a lighter in his pocket.

“I want to thank the young people who called 911 to help,” Ms. Tisch added.

“They saw something, they said something and they did something.”

The man, who has not been publicly identified, emigrated to the United States from Guatemala in 2018, said Joseph Gulotta of the NYPD.

Gulotta said investigators are still trying to determine whether the victim was sleeping when he was set on fire.

“She is definitely there, she is motionless,” Mr Gulotta added.

“We don’t know 100 percent whether she’s sleeping or not, but it appears she’s motionless at this point.”

“There is no interaction between the two. And when the incident happens, there is no interaction between them.”