Crime

48-Year-Old Man Dies After Setting Himself on Fire Outside Manhattan Church

Published

4 weeks ago

November 14, 2024

M10News Reporter

It remains unclear what the man had used to set himself on fire. William Farrington

A 48-year-old man tragically died after setting himself on fire early Thursday morning outside St. George’s Episcopal Church in Manhattan.

Crime scene at Rutherford Place between 16th st and 17th in Manhattan, where a man set himself of fire and died, overnight.

It remains unclear what the man had used to set himself on fire. William Farrington

Police received a 911 call around 2:30 a.m. reporting that the man had set himself ablaze at the intersection of East 16th Street and Rutherford Place, a tree-lined corner in the heart of the city.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found the man unconscious and unresponsive. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers pronounced him dead at the location.

His identity has not been released, as authorities are waiting to notify his family.

White sheet left at a crime scene from the steps at St George's Church at Rutherford Place between 16th st and 17th in Manhattan, where a man set himself of fire and died, overnight.

A witness called 911 to report that the man had set himself on fire, cops said. William Farrington

The exact method by which the man set himself on fire remains unclear, and the investigation is ongoing. In the aftermath, a white sheet, crime scene tape, and evidence markers could be seen surrounding the area outside the church.

The incident took place near Stuyvesant Park, in an area surrounded by brownstone buildings. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.