A 33-year-old man, Sebastian Zapeta, has been charged with first- and second-degree murder, as well as arson, following a horrific incident in New York City. Zapeta is accused of setting a woman on fire aboard a stationary subway train in Brooklyn, leading to her death.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the act as “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being.”
The tragedy unfolded on Sunday morning at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station. According to police, the victim was aboard an F train when Zapeta approached her and used a lighter to ignite her clothing. Within seconds, the flames engulfed her. Officers on the scene extinguished the fire, but the woman died at the scene.
Details of the Incident
Police stated that the woman, whose identity has not been released, was “motionless” when the attack occurred. Detectives are investigating whether she was asleep at the time.
“There was no interaction between the victim and the suspect before the attack,” said NYPD officer Joseph Gulotta, adding that they do not believe the two were acquainted.
Officers patrolling the station first became aware of the situation when they saw and smelled smoke. Upon investigating, they discovered the victim fully engulfed in flames inside the subway car.
Zapeta initially left the train but did not flee the station immediately. Instead, he sat on a nearby bench on the platform. This allowed police responding to the fire to capture clear footage of him on their body cameras.
Identification and Arrest
The New York Police Department (NYPD) circulated images of the suspect, leading to his identification. Three high school students later recognized Zapeta on another subway train and called 911. Officers boarded the train and located Zapeta at the Herald Square station in Manhattan, near the Empire State Building.
At the time of his arrest, Zapeta had a lighter in his possession. Commissioner Tisch commended the students for their quick thinking, saying, “They saw something, they said something, and they did something.”
Background of the Suspect
An immigration official revealed that Zapeta had entered the United States illegally in 2018 and was subsequently deported. However, he later unlawfully re-entered the country.
This disturbing incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many calling for justice for the victim and stricter measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.