A suspect, identified by police as Sebastian Zapeta, is facing murder and arson charges in New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train and then watching her die after she was engulfed in flames, police said on December 23, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP
A man is facing murder and arson charges in New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train and then watching her die after she was engulfed in flames, police said Monday (December 23, 2024).
The suspect, identified by police as Sebastian Zapeta, was taken into custody hours after the woman died on Sunday (December 22, 2024) morning.
Zapeta, 33, is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally after he had been previously removed in 2018, said Jeff Carter, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Surveillance video showed the suspect approach the woman, who was sitting motionless and may have been sleeping, on a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station in Brooklyn and set her clothing on fire, police said.
The woman’s clothing ““became fully engulfed in a matter of seconds,” said Jessica Tisch, the New York City police commissioner, while the suspect remained at the scene, watching her burn from a bench on the subway platform as police and a transit worker extinguished the flames.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not yet released her identity.
Ms. Tisch called the incident “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being.”
Police arrested Zapeta later Sunday (December 22, 2024), riding the same subway line, after getting a tip from a group of high school students who recognized images of the suspect that were circulated by police.
It is unclear when and where Zapeta reentered the U.S. after being removed about six years ago.
In a statement, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “The depravity of this horrific crime is beyond comprehension, and my office is committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice.”
“This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences,” he said.
It was unclear if Zapeta has an attorney or when he would be arraigned.
A Brooklyn address for Zapeta released by police matches a service centre for Samaritan Daytop Village, which provides housing and substance abuse support. The organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul this year has sent New York National Guard members to the city’s subway system to help police conduct random searches of riders’ bags for weapons following a series of high-profile crimes on city trains. Ms. Hochul recently deployed additional members to help patrol during the holiday season.
About a year ago, Ms. Hochul supported funding to install video cameras on every train car in the New York subway system, said Michael Kemper, chief security officer for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He and other officials on Sunday (December 22, 2024) credited the cameras with helping to track down the suspect so quickly.
Here’s what we know:
Zapeta was taken into custody hours after police disseminated images of a suspect in the woman’s death.
Police said three high schoolers called 911 after recognizing the person in the image, and officers found him on another subway train in the same gray hoodie, wool hat, paint-splattered pants and tan boots.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Jeff Carter said Zapeta is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally after he had been previously deported to Guatemala in 2018. It is unclear when and where he re-entered the U.S., Mr. Carter said.
A Brooklyn address for Zapeta released by police matches a service centre for Samaritan Daytop Village, which provides housing and substance abuse support. The organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez released a statement that said “we will do everything in our power to ensure accountability in this case.”
Police patrol the New York City subways, and there is a vast network of cameras in stations and in all subway cars. But the sheer size of the subway system — 472 stations with multiple entry points and millions of riders each day — make policing it a logistical nightmare.
On Sunday (December 22, 2024), officers were at the station but were patrolling a different subway platform. They responded after seeing and smelling smoke coming from the fire.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul earlier this year directed members of the state’s National Guard to assist with random bag checks at certain stations.
Violent incidents in the subway often put people on edge, in part because many New Yorkers take the train multiple times a day and often have their own experiences with uncomfortable interactions in the system.
Broadly, crime is down in the city transit system this year compared to the same time period in 2023. Data compiled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority show a 6% decline in what the agency calls major felonies between January and November of this year and 2023.
At the same time, murders in the transit system are up, with nine killings this year through November compared to five in the same time period last year.
High-profile incidents on the train, such as the case of Daniel Penny, a military veteran who choked an agitated New York subway rider and was acquitted of homicide this month, often attract national attention and further unnerve passengers.
Published – December 24, 2024 08:29 am IST
