An elderly woman has been burnt to death in the elevator of a residential apartment in Brooklyn, on Saturday afternoon, an Associated Press report states. The woman, identified, according to a New York Times report, as Doris Gillespie, 64, stayed on the fifth floor of the building.

According to the police, the suspect, an unidentified man, was caught on a surveillance camera spraying an accelerant on the woman's body, before setting her on fire with a Molotov cocktail.

The unidentified man apparently knew that she was on the elevator and was waiting for her outside her apartment, according to New York City Police spokesman Paul Browne, who was quoted in a Wall Street Journal report.

There are no details, as yet, about possible motives. However, the video evidence does suggest and the police seem inclined to agree that the murderer knew his victim.

In his report, Browne said the woman apparently tried to turn away in self-defense. However, the man continued to spray over her face, head and other body parts, sort of methodically.

The entire incident lasted for about a minute. The police suspect the man fled using the stairs.

The neighbors, who were completely unaware of the woman burning in the elevator, reported a fire when they saw smoke from the elevator.

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