A Guatemalan migrant has been indicted on charges of murder and arson after allegedly setting a woman on fire aboard a New York City subway train, Brooklyn prosecutors said on December 27. The horrific incident occurred on the morning of December 22, when 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta reportedly attacked a woman while she was asleep on an F train at Coney Island station.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez stated that Zapeta set the woman on fire as she was peacefully sleeping in a subway car. He further states that Zapeta used a shirt to fan the flames after he lit her on fire, leaving the victim fully engulfed in fire.
What makes the crime even more astonishing is that Zapeta sat on a bench next to where the woman was burning. He did not leave the platform until the woman died from the flames. The entire incident unfolded while the train was stopped, and no one else reportedly intervened.
The crime was discovered when the train doors were opened, and authorities found the woman in a critical condition. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigators believe that the victim was homeless, but they are still working to confirm her identity using fingerprints and advanced DNA analysis. The tragic death of the woman has shocked both the local community and the victim’s family.
What Are The Charges Against Zapeta?
Zapeta, who is in this country illegally, was arrested shortly after the incident. Authorities used pictures and surveillance footage to pinpoint him, and he was captured on December 22. According to reports, in the course of questioning Zapeta reportedly said he had no idea what happened, but he admitted to having been drinking alcohol before.
Therefore, he has been charged with multiple counts of murder and arson with the most serious count that could give him a maximum life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole.
The prosecutors from Brooklyn have indicated that the indictment will be unsealed on January 7. The case has been very sensationalized by New York City officials, who point out the devastation that the crime has had on the victim’s family despite her apparent homelessness.
Previous Deportation And Illegal Re-entry
This is not Zapeta’s first encounter with law. The Guatemalan national had been deported from the United States in 2018 but is said to have illegally re-entered the country. His case has brought attention to the larger issue of illegal immigration, especially about individuals who have criminal backgrounds.
The murder was widely condemned, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams immediately ordered law enforcement agencies to determine whether Zapeta may also face federal charges under the arson statute, in concert with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
As Zapeta faces serious criminal charges, questions surrounding the identity and circumstances of the victim also continue to come forward. Though she is reported to be homeless, the life mattered just as any other; Brooklyn District Attorney Gonzalez declared this. “Just because someone appears to have been living in the situation of homelessness does not mean that there’s not going to be family devastated by the tragic way she lost her life,” he declared.
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