A man has been charged with murder and arson in New York City after allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train, resulting in her death, police reported on Monday.
The suspect, 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, was arrested hours after the incident, which took place Sunday morning at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station in Brooklyn.
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Surveillance footage from the New York City Police Department shows Zapeta approaching the woman, who appeared to be asleep on a stationary F train. He allegedly set her clothing on fire, and the flames quickly spread.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the scene horrifying, stating, “The woman’s clothing became fully engulfed in a matter of seconds,” and describing the crime as one of the most brutal acts a person could commit against another.
Zapeta reportedly stayed at the scene, watching the woman burn from a bench on the subway platform while officers and a transit worker attempted to put out the flames. The woman, whose identity has not been revealed, was declared dead at the scene.
Zapeta, originally from Guatemala, had been deported from the United States in 2018, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE spokesperson Jeff Carter confirmed that Zapeta reentered the U.S. illegally, but the specifics of his reentry are unknown.
He was apprehended later on Sunday after high school students recognized him from photos shared by authorities. He was found riding the same subway line where the incident occurred.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez condemned the crime, calling it “beyond comprehension,” and affirmed his office’s commitment to bringing Zapeta to justice. He stressed that this senseless and brutal act would be met with the most severe consequences.
As of Monday, it remained unclear if Zapeta had legal representation or when his arraignment would take place.
