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Two Arrested in Penn Station Burning, Main Suspect Held on Attempted Murder Charge

Surveillance footage guided the arrests, drawing scrutiny to the suspect’s extensive arrest record.

Overview

  • Damon Johnson, 47, was charged with attempted murder, assault and reckless endangerment, pleaded not guilty, and was remanded without bail.
  • Lyla Najjar, 33, was arrested on an assault charge, and prosecutors later declined to prosecute her pending further investigation.
  • Police say Johnson is on parole for a 2018 robbery and has roughly 131 prior arrests dating back to 1995.
  • The 37-year-old homeless victim suffered second-degree burns to his back and arm, was hospitalized in stable condition, and is expected to survive.
  • Investigators continue to pursue additional suspects and have not identified a motive, with video showing an assailant crouching over the sleeping man before his jacket ignited.