Man faces murder, arson charges New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train and then watching her die after being engulfed in flames, police said Monday.
The suspect, identified by police as Sebastian Zapeta, was taken into custody hours after the woman’s death Sunday morning.
Zapeta, 33, is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the United States illegally after being deported in 2018, said Jeff Carter, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Surveillance video of the incident showed the suspect approached the woman, who was sitting motionless and possibly sleeping, while boarding a stopped F train at the station Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station in Brooklyn and set his clothes on fire, police said.
The woman’s clothes “were completely engulfed in a matter of seconds,” said New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, as the suspect remained at the scene, watching her burn from a bench on the subway platform. as police and a transit worker put out the flames.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they have not yet released his identity.
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Tisch called the incident “one of the most depraved crimes a person can commit against another human being.”
Police arrested Zapeta later Sunday, on the same subway line, after receiving a tip from a group of high school students who recognized images of the suspect released by police.
It is unclear when and where Zapeta returned to the United States after being deported about six years ago. Carter said federal immigration agents will issue him a detainer once they are officially tasked with transferring him to federal custody.
Immigration officials typically issue a detainer request to ask an agency to detain a person until they can be taken into immigration custody, rather than releasing them into public custody.
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 horrific and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will result in the most serious consequences,” he said.
It is unclear whether Zapeta has an attorney or when he will be arraigned.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul sent members of the New York National Guard to the city’s subways this year to help police conduct random searches of passengers’ bags for weapons. following a series of high-profile crimes on the city’s trains. Hochul recently deployed additional members to help patrol during the holiday season.
About a year ago, Hochul supported funding the installation of video cameras on every New York City subway car, said Michael Kemper, chief security officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He and other officials credited the cameras Sunday for helping find the suspect so quickly.
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