Women set ablaze on Chicago train identified as Bethany MaGee—suspect has 72 prior arrests

The man charged with setting a young woman on fire aboard a Chicago train has a lengthy criminal history that includes at least 72 prior arrests over three decades. The victim has also been identified in the case. 

50-year-old Lawrence Reed was arrested this week and charged with committing a terrorist attack or violence against a mass transportation system. Prosecutors say Reed used gasoline and a lighter to ignite a woman on Monday aboard a Chicago Blue Line train.

The woman who was the victim of the attack was identified as 26-year-old Bethany MaGee. In a filing ahead of his detention hearing on Friday, prosecutors argued Reed was “simply too dangerous for pre-trial release.”

"Defendant’s actions and criminal history, as shown below, demonstrate that he is a serious danger to everyone in the community," the filing stated, according to Fox News. "The state court system has been unable to contain defendant’s violent crimes, and federal intervention is now needed.”

Citing Chicago police department records, federal prosecutors said Reed has been arrested at least 72 times over the last 30 years. "At least 15 of those arrests were since 2016, with the most recent occurring in August 2025. He has approximately 15 convictions, eight of which were for felony offenses including arson, criminal damage to government supported property valued over $500, drug trafficking, drug possession, and a felony traffic offense," the filing said.

Prosecutors also noted that at the time of Monday’s attack, Reed "was facing charges in the Circuit Court of Cook County for aggravated battery causing great bodily harm after he allegedly struck a person about the head or face area with an open palm while at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, Illinois.”

The judge ordered Reed to be held without pre-trial release due to his extensive criminal history. Reed agreed with the decision, telling the court, “It’s for my safety. I don’t feel safe out there. ... I don’t feel safe to society. ... I’m a target from society.” He also told the judge he would represent himself in the trial.