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New York woman set alight in her lift New York woman set alight in her lift
(about 7 hours later)
New York police are questioning a man after a woman was doused in fuel and set alight in the lift of her apartment block, causing her fatal injuries. New York police have arrested a man for murder and arson after he allegedly doused her with fuel and set her alight in the lift of her block of flats.
CCTV images captured a man entering the lift, wearing surgical gloves, a protective mask on the top of his head and spraying an accelerant over her.CCTV images captured a man entering the lift, wearing surgical gloves, a protective mask on the top of his head and spraying an accelerant over her.
Reports identified the woman as Doris Gillespie, 64, who was returning to her home in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Police said Jerome Isaac, 47, had surrendered and implicated himself in the attack.
The Associated Press says a 47-year-old man has handed himself into the police. The victim was named as Deloris Gillespie, 73, of Brooklyn.
He walked into a police station overnight, smelling of gasoline, and said he had started a fire, New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said. New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said Mr Isaac walked into a police station hours after the Saturday afternoon attack, smelling of gasoline, and implicated himself.
He told police Ms Gillespie owed him $2,000 (£1,300) for work he had done for her, Mr Browne said.
After allegedly setting Ms Gillespie on fire, Mr Isaac walked to his own nearby block of flats and started a fire there, Mr Browne said.
Residents of Ms Gillespie's building in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, told the New York Times they recognised the man in photos of the suspect released by police.
They said he had known Ms Gillespie and sometimes carried shopping bags for her.
EvacuatedEvacuated
Mr Browne said the suspect had been waiting for Ms Gillespie as she arrived by lift on the fifth floor of her apartment block at around 16:00 local time. Mr Browne said Mr Isaac had been waiting for Ms Gillespie as she arrived by lift on the fifth floor of her apartment block at around 16:00 local time (11:00 GMT).
"It was apparent he knew she was on the elevator," he said."It was apparent he knew she was on the elevator," he said.
Video footage showed the man walk into a lift and spray her "sort of methodically" before pulling out a barbecue-style lighter, igniting a rag in a bottle, using the flames to set her alight and then throwing the bottle into the lift, Mr Browne said.Video footage showed the man walk into a lift and spray her "sort of methodically" before pulling out a barbecue-style lighter, igniting a rag in a bottle, using the flames to set her alight and then throwing the bottle into the lift, Mr Browne said.
Ms Gillespie was carrying grocery bags at the time, and crouched down at the back of the elevator to try to shield herself. Ms Gillespie was carrying grocery bags at the time, and crouched down at the back of the lift to try to shield herself.
Mr Browne said the suspect knew the victim but refused to give further details as to the motive of the killing. The six-storey building was evacuated and residents kept away for several hours while police investigated, Associated Press news agency said.
Residents were evacuated and kept away from the six-storey building for several hours while police investigated, the AP reports.