Illegal Immigrant Arrested in Connection with Woman’s Nightmarish NYC Subway Death: Report
On Sunday, New York City police arrested 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, in connection with the horrifying death of a homeless woman who was set on fire in a subway car. the incident occurred on an F train in Coney Island, were Zapeta allegedly used a lighter to ignite the victim’s clothing while she was seated. Despite prior arrests in Arizona, Zapeta had no prior criminal record in New york City.
Witnesses and police confirm that the attack was particularly gruesome, with the flames engulfing the woman within seconds. First responders were called to the scene, but she was pronounced dead upon arrival.The quick action of three teenagers helped authorities locate Zapeta. Public officials, including Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Mayor Eric Adams, condemned the violent act, emphasizing a commitment to ensuring justice for victims of crime. The incident has raised concerns about rising violence in the city, with some comparing the current climate to more dangerous times in New York’s history.
New York City Police Department officials arrested an illegal immigrant from Guatemala Sunday in connection with the death of a homeless woman who was set on fire in a New York City subway car.
The man taken into NYPD custody following the shocking incident is 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, sources familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital.
One source from the NYPD told the outlet that the individual illegally entered the United States in 2018. He had a prior arrest in Arizona, but no priors in New York City.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch spoke to reporters at a news conference Sunday, detailing the horrific incident, which took place that morning on an F train in Coney Island.
“As the train pulled into the station, the suspect calmly walked up to the victim,” Tisch said, according tor Fox, noting that the homeless woman was sitting upright.
“The suspect used what we believe to be a lighter to ignite the victim’s clothing, which became fully engulfed in a matter of seconds,” she added.
Three teenagers reportedly helped investigators track down the suspect.
No charges had been filed in the case as of Sunday evening.
Sources told the New York Post that investigators believe the suspect was sitting across from the sleeping woman, walked past her, and threw a match onto her.
First responders arrived at the F train after reports of a fire. Police officers put out the blaze and EMS medics declared the woman dead at the scene, police told the Post.
WARNING: The following post contains images that some may find disturbing.
🚨BREAKING: Sebastian Zapeta, a 25-year-old Hispanic Guatemalan POS from Guatemala, who is accused of setting a sleeping female on fire and watching her burn to death in NYC, has been arrested.
Enough is enough!
Mass deportation now!
Death penalty!pic.twitter.com/WexOCR6ec6— Donald J. Trump News (@Trump_NewsX) December 23, 2024
Witnesses described the heinous nature of the incident.
“I was just walking by. The cops was there already. I didn’t see her in flames but that’s what I heard. It was out. They shut the lights off [in the car] so nobody could see,” a transit worker told the Post.
Alex Gureyev, a construction manager who lives in Brooklyn, compared the situation in New York City to past decades during which crime in the metropolis was elevated.
“It’s going downhill a bit,” he told the Post. “Everybody keeps saying it’s going back to the seventies. It’s a frequent occurrence — not like this, setting people on fire — but like the mugging, the killings, the fighting, the shootings, they’re really common nowadays. [It’s] very bad.”
New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams also condemned the attack in a Sunday evening statement d on X.
“Grateful to the young New Yorkers and transit officers who stepped up to help our NYPD make a quick arrest following this morning’s heinous and deadly subway attack,” he said.
“This type of depraved behavior has no place in our subways and we are committed to working hard to ensure there is swift justice for all victims of violent crime,” Adams continued.
“My prayers are with the family of the victim in this senseless killing.”
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