Federal prosecutors charged Lawrence Reed with committing a terrorist attack for allegedly setting a woman on fire aboard a Chicago Blue Line train.

Surveillance and witness accounts indicate Reed doused the 26-year-old woman with gasoline and ignited her while she tried to flee, leaving her hospitalized with critical burns.

Reed, 50, was disruptive in federal court, insisting he wanted to represent himself and repeatedly pleading guilty.

The attack drew comparisons to a fatal commuter train stabbing in Charlotte earlier this year and intensified criticism of safety in major Democratic-led cities, CNN has reported.

Chicago authorities said they are working closely with federal investigators and emphasized the use of surveillance and other security measures on transit systems.