Just days before alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann was apprehended, a young woman had a disturbing encounter with him on a quiet New York train ride -- and captured it on video.

A Long Island woman unknowingly filmed Heuermann making unsettling comments and drinking beer beside her on a nearly empty LIRR train, turning the footage over to authorities after learning of his arrest weeks later, as the New York Post reports.

On the evening of July 1, 2023, Kaylin Morales was heading home on a Babylon-bound Long Island Rail Road train after a dinner date in Manhattan. The 25-year-old was alone in a nearly vacant train car when a man she later identified as Heuermann sat directly beside her. Despite the abundance of open seats around them, he chose the one next to Morales, immediately raising her suspicion.

Morales later said she felt intensely uneasy as soon as the man entered her space. “It was just so weird that the rest of the seats were empty, and he had to sit right next to me. I was on high alert at that point,” she said. Morales didn’t immediately recognize the man as the suspected serial killer, but she sensed that something was off.

During the train ride, Heuermann made comments that Morales found inappropriate and alarming. At one point, she recalled him saying, “Oh, you don’t have to move your pretty legs. I won’t bother you.” Worried for her safety, Morales quietly began recording the interaction using Snapchat and her phone’s camera.

Train ride leads to unease

Morales captured multiple short clips of the man, who appeared to be drinking beer during the ride. One video shows him casually holding a Miller Lite, dressed in khaki cargo pants, and in another clip, she can be seen frowning into the camera as she subtly films. At one point, she even caught him opening a second beer while a New York Post article was displayed on his phone screen, lying on his thigh.

Feeling out of options and increasingly uncomfortable, Morales decided not to move seats. “I could have moved but I was like, ‘Is he going to say something else to me?’ Like, I just don’t want to interact with this man any further -- everything about him was sussing me out,” she explained. Instead, she put on her AirPods and stared out the window, hoping the ride would end without further incident.

The man exited the train at the Massapequa station -- a location Morales would later learn had direct ties to the suspect. When Heuermann was arrested less than two weeks later and his mugshot was broadcast across news outlets, Morales was stunned. Recognizing his face as her disturbing seatmate from the train ride, she immediately acted.

Video footage given to authorities

Morales submitted the videos and photos she had taken to the Suffolk County Crime Stoppers tip line. A detective soon interviewed her and confirmed the man in her footage was, in fact, Heuermann. Her eyewitness account and recordings became part of the broader investigation into the man suspected of murdering several women.

Heuermann has since been charged with the killings of seven women in the Gilgo Beach murder case, which has spanned more than a decade and rattled communities in Long Island. The 60-year-old architect has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody at the Riverhead Correctional Facility. He is expected to return to Suffolk County Criminal Court on June 17, although a trial date has yet to be scheduled.

Despite her discovery, Morales chose not to immediately share her story publicly. She later explained her hesitation stemmed from concerns that Heuermann might have accomplices who could potentially retaliate. “I was worried if I posted right after his arrest, if he had a partner, I didn’t want them coming after me, so I waited,” she said.

TikTok post shows startling encounter

Nearly two years later, on May 5, 2025, Morales finally posted the chilling footage on TikTok, recounting her unnerving experience just days before Heuermann’s arrest. She noted that it was only after watching a Netflix documentary suggesting that Heuermann acted alone that she felt safe enough to come forward.

In the clips posted online, she accompanies the videos with text captions reflecting her anxiety at the time. One caption included, “Like why the f-- k is there mad open seats and this guy sits right next to me and can’t stop talking to me, like I literally can’t ever catch a break.” Another read, “the cracking of a new drink is crazy [crying emoji] I simply can't.”

Reflecting on how close she was to a man now charged with multiple murders, Morales described the moment she recognized him from TV news. “My heart immediately sank to the floor,” she said. “I couldn’t even believe it.” She added, “God was with me that day.”

Lessons to learn

Stories like this remind us of the importance of staying vigilant in public spaces. While no one can prevent crime entirely, there are valuable takeaways that may help individuals stay safer:

1. Trust your instincts: If someone’s behavior makes you uncomfortable, it's valid to feel uneasy. Kaylin Morales sensed something was wrong and took precautionary steps to document the encounter, which later helped law enforcement.

2. Use technology discreetly: When possible, use your phone to take pictures, record interactions, or alert authorities. Morales' quick thinking to record video gave investigators crucial visual proof days before the arrest was made public.

3. Be cautious, not confrontational: Morales chose not to engage or escalate the situation. Her decision to avoid further interaction, remain still, and leave the train safely helped her avoid any potential harm. Still, it’s vital to acknowledge that no strategy guarantees safety, and victims are never to blame for someone else’s criminal actions.

Why this story matters

This story underscores how ordinary moments can intersect with major criminal investigations.  It highlights the courage of everyday individuals who help uncover the truth through vigilance and action.

The community inevitably benefits when citizens contribute valuable information that supports justice and public safety.