Editor’s Note: The video in this article has been updated to include new, relevant information.
(NewsNation) — A Chicago judge determined the man accused of setting a woman on fire on a city train will not be released from custody.
Lawrence Reed, 50, was in court Friday for a detention hearing, where he was ordered by Judge Laura McNally to remain in Cook County’s custody. Reed said he agreed to stay in detention for his safety, though he implied he was not being fed, repeatedly telling the judge, “As long as they feed me.”
Surveillance footage from the attack appears to show the suspect dousing and setting a 26-year-old woman on fire on a Chicago Blue Line train. The victim, whose name was not released, remains in critical condition, with severe burns to her face and body, authorities said.
Reed faces federal terrorism charges that could carry up to life in prison. While facing a judge Wednesday, he reportedly shouted, “I plead guilty!” according to NewsNation affiliate WGN.
Prosecutors accused Reed of buying gasoline just 20 minutes before the attack, filling a small container at a nearby gas station.
“Just seen her lying on the ground, and she was kind of hyperventilating and in a lot of pain. She was really … you could tell she was really in bad shape,” a witness said.
Reed has been arrested more than 70 times in Cook County and convicted in 13 of those cases, including an aggravated arson case in April 2020, according to WGN. He was out on pretrial release for an aggravated battery charge from August at the time of the attack.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called the attack “an absolute failure” of both the criminal justice system and mental health institutions during a news conference.
“The system that we had failed to intervene, and now we have a woman who is fighting for her life. And I am praying for her and her full recovery,” Johnson said.
During a court appearance Wednesday, authorities said Reed had spat on multiple federal agents. During that hearing, Reed told the judge he planned to represent himself before interrupting proceedings to announce his guilt.