A 33-year-old Guatemalan citizen was charged with murder and arson on Monday after allegedly lighting a woman on fire and watching her burn to death on a New York City subway train over the weekend, police and federal officials said.
Sebastian Zapeta was arrested about six hours after police say he used a lighter to ignite the clothes of a woman who appeared to be dozing on a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station in Brooklyn.
On Monday, he was charged with murder and arson, police said.
The suspect entered the U.S. without authorization in 2018 and was deported to Guatemala a few days later. It was unclear when he unlawfully re-entered, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
Police said there appeared to have been no prior interaction between the assailant, a Brooklyn man, and the victim, who has not been identified.
Zapeta is in custody and it was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer. He was arrested on a subway train on Sunday afternoon and had a lighter in his pocket, police said. He was due to appear in court to face charges on Monday or Tuesday.
Subway workers and police officers who had been patrolling the station used fire extinguishers to extinguish the flames that engulfed the woman, who was declared dead at the scene.
"The depravity of this horrific crime is beyond comprehension, and my office is committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. "This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences."
The Department of Homeland Security statement said it would pursue removal proceedings again whenever Zapeta is released from New York custody, which could include a lengthy prison sentence if he is convicted.
© Thomson Reuters 2024.
20 Comments
Fighto!
Hopefully this a ape-like thing will now be executed, although I am not sure of the maximum penalties in that state. The suffering and pain he inflicted must have been horrendous - and is unforgivable.
Rest in Peace to the poor woman.
The US absolutely should not be permitting this type into their nation.
WoodyLee
"" Department of Homeland Security statement said it would pursue removal proceedings again whenever Zapeta is released from New York custody, which could include a lengthy prison sentence if he is convicted. ""
So when that damn wall is gonna get done???
Politik Kills
Cue the anti-immigration isolationists.
zulander
Who would be pro this kind of immigration?
u_s__reamer
Obviously a mentally-ill person to have committed such a senseless act. There are more than a few such individuals in modern societies, but this case is a cruel one.
FizzBit
This writer should be fired. Watch the video.
This story barely describes what when down. First of all she was standing, holding on to the handrail with her the back of her jacket on fire, not screaming not panicking, just burning, no reaction at all. Probably Fentenly. Nobody is doing anything to help, just filming. The the same low life who started the fire, who was sitting on a bench watching it, gets up and fans the flames with his jacket. Again, she's standing there, no reaction, bystanders/tiktokers, doing nothing.
TaiwanIsNotChina
MAGAs will have to decide whether they hate illegal migrants or the homeless more.
Antiquesaving
Again the false far left cry.
In the USA, Canada, Australia, UK, EU, etc...
The "anti immigration" isn't what you are trying to portray.
It is anti illegal immigration!
No one is saying no immigration, they are saying follow the laws, the rules and enter the way millions did before, "apply and wait your turn", I have friends that waited over a year to get their foreign wives into their countries following the rules and laws. Meanwhile someone just crossed the border and gets to stay.
Imagine the situation if people could just arrive in Japan and just decide not to leave?
All the foreigners here got proper visas through the proper process then many got PR again following the proper process.
Antiquesaving
This is NY city, would you do something?
Remember what just happened, a trial of a man that did step in to stop someone from harming others.
No one is going to risk being arrested and put in trial for the political gains of one side or the other.
bass4funk
Illegal migrants
And most are in Blue states.
u_s__reamer
The genocidal horrors experienced by the people of Guatemala (outside the awareness and imagination of 99% of North Americans) thanks largely to US foreign policy meddling in Central America during the last 100 years may have more than a little to do with this man's illegal presence and insane act. Who knows the extent of his possible traumatization as a Guatemalan? The mass migration of asylum seekers displaced and uprooted from south of the border are, sad to say, like chickens coming home to roost.
TaiwanIsNotChina
That coup was 70 years ago no. People need to come up with other excuses for their problems. Western Hemisphere is almost entirely communist free, though. You are welcome.
stormcrow
Very, very cruel. He’s quite obviously psychotic.
asiafriend
AntiquesavingToday 10:55 am JST
Again the false far left cry.
In the USA, Canada, Australia, UK, EU, etc...
The "anti immigration" isn't what you are trying to portray.
dagon
One man last month did step in on the streets of New York to take down one man who was harming many others and did not resist arrest and now he is being put on a massive politically/economically motivated show trial.
Chabbawanga
The video is crazy. The victim, likely already dead, is just standing upright in flames on the train. The perp then comes back and fans the flames whilst everyone just looks on. This guy is next level psychotic.
Blacklabel
Deported, as he should face been.
but welcomed back with open arms by the Democrat open border policies.
TaiwanIsNotChina
They don't know when he came back. Make assumptions much?
Blacklabel
isn’t it worse that a deported person can re-enter our country and it’s supposedly not even known where or when? What a porous border we have.
but we all know when it was most likely he returned, the time with all the free stuff, right?
Where was he living?
Blacklabel
odd way to describe a trial for murder where it’s all on camera. I guess they can “show” the video.