Chicago commuter charged with terrorism after he 'doused woman in gasoline then screamed "Burn b***h" as she went up in flames'

The man who was accused of setting a woman on fire during her commute in Chicago on Monday has been charged with federal terrorism. 

Lawrence Reed, 50, was charged on Wednesday for allegedly pouring gasoline on a woman and igniting a blaze on the Chicago transit system. 

He allegedly approached the victim and repeatedly yelled at officers 'burn alive b***h,' according to a criminal affidavit filed in federal court. 

Reed was arrested on Tuesday afternoon and appeared to be wearing the same clothes he was seen in on the night of the attack. 

The complaint also noted that he had 'fire-related injuries' on his hand. 

Reed is accused of setting fire to the woman, who was not identified by authorities, at around 9.24pm, according to the complaint. 

A photo from surveillance footage depicted the two sitting in the train car before Reed allegedly poured gasoline over the victim's head and body.  

In a horrifying chain of events, the victim attempted to fight off her attacker while Reed allegedly tried to set her on fire. 

She was seen running to the front of the train car to escape before her attacker allegedly ignited the bottle in his hand, according to the affidavit completed by Adam Fitzgerald, a Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. 

Reed then allegedly ran to the front of the train car and watched his victim as her body was 'engulfed in flames,' the affidavit read.  

She was seen attempting to extinguish the flames by dropping to the ground, and fled the train car when it stopped at Clark and Lake. 

The victim collapsed when she arrived at the station, and multiple witnesses attended to her while she waited for emergency responders. 

Reed allegedly fled at the station as authorities searched for a person of interest in the arson attack. 

He was arrested on Tuesday in downtown Chicago. Investigators obtained additional security footage of Reed allegedly filling a container with gasoline at a gas station 20 minutes before the attack, according to the affidavit.  

The Chicago Fire Department transported the victim, who has not yet been named, to a nearby hospital with severe burns after the attack. 

She remained in critical condition as of Tuesday evening, but was reportedly conscious and speaking when emergency responders arrived.  

Several witnesses spoke to local news about the horror they witnessed when the woman was engulfed in flames.

'She had severe burns all over her upper torso and half of her scalp was burnt off,' Michael Thomas told the Chicago Sun-Times. 

'She was lucid and conscious and talking. I believe I overheard something along the lines of, "I can't believe I'm on fire."'

Thomas said he joined a group of a dozen bystanders to help put out the fire after she was attacked. 

He added that one woman held the victim and consoled her as others stood in silence or recorded on their phones. 

Another witness told NBC 5 Chicago that the woman appeared to be in 'a really bad state' after the attack. 

'I just saw a lady that was laying in the ground, and they were trying to give her CPR,' the witness added. 

'And she looked like she was in an awful lot of pain.'