Prosecutors Allege Subway Murder Suspect Used Shirt to Intensify Flames

Charges of murder have been filed in a New York court against a suspect in connection with the death of a woman who was set on fire aboard a subway train. According to the criminal complaint, Sebastian Zapeta is alleged to have ignited the unidentified woman’s clothing and subsequently intensified the fire by waving a shirt around her, resulting in her being fully engulfed in flames. The 33-year-old individual faces charges including first and second-degree murder, in addition to arson, stemming from the Monday attack. He is scheduled to remain in custody until his subsequent court appearance on Friday. Mr. Zapeta, dressed in a white jumpsuit over a black hooded sweatshirt, remained silent during his formal charging in court on Tuesday. Following the arraignment, the suspect’s attorney declined to comment to reporters. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch characterized Sunday’s incident as “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being”. Commissioner Tisch stated that the woman was aboard a stationary F train in Brooklyn when a man approached her and used a lighter to ignite her clothing, which became “fully engulfed in a matter of seconds.” Despite officers extinguishing the flames, the victim succumbed to her injuries at the scene. Officials have indicated the availability of police body camera footage, surveillance footage from within the subway system, and statements from witnesses. Law enforcement officers reported that the woman, whose identity has not been released, was in a subway carriage at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station around 07:30 local time (12:30 GMT) when she was approached by the man. The victim was “motionless” at the time she was set on fire; however, detectives are still working to determine if she was asleep. Joseph Gulotta of the NYPD stated, “We’re not 100% sure.” Mr. Gulotta noted that there was no interaction between the two individuals prior to the attack, and police do not believe they were acquainted. Explaining how police were alerted to the incident, Ms. Tisch recounted: “Officers were on patrol on an upper level of that station, smelled and saw smoke and went to investigate.” She continued, “What they saw was a person standing inside the train car fully engulfed in flames.” An immigration official disclosed that Mr. Zapeta illegally entered the U.S. in 2018, was subsequently detained and deported, and later unlawfully re-entered the country. The man exited the train as police officers patrolling the station responded to the fire, but he did not immediately escape the scene. Ms. Tisch stated, “Unbeknownst to the officers who responded, the suspect had stayed on the scene and was seated on a bench on the platform just outside the train car.” She clarified that this allowed police to acquire “very clear, detailed” images of him from the body-worn cameras of the responding officers. The New York Police Department (NYPD) then disseminated these images. Ms. Tisch informed reporters that, subsequently, three high school-aged New Yorkers contacted 911 to report recognizing the suspect on a different subway train. Officers boarded the train and proceeded through the carriages, leading to the man’s location. He was apprehended at Herald Square station, situated near the Empire State Building in Manhattan. Ms. Tisch confirmed that a lighter was discovered in his pocket. Ms. Tisch concluded by stating, “I want to thank the young people who called 911 to help. They saw something, they said something and they did something.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.