NEW YORK — Authorities in New York City have apprehended a suspect accused of murder and arson connected to the horrific death of a woman who was ignited inside a subway train.
The suspect, identified as Sebastian Zapeta, age 33, had not appeared in court as of Tuesday morning.
According to police reports, surveillance footage captured a man approaching the victim on a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn on Sunday morning. Witnesses indicate that he then set her ablaze.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch remarked that the clothing of the victim “became fully engulfed in a matter of seconds” and characterized the incident as “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being.”
After lighting the fire, the suspect reportedly sat on a nearby bench outside the train car, calmly observing while officers and a transit worker worked to extinguish the flames.
As of Tuesday, the police stated that the victim’s identity was still being confirmed.
In terms of the latest updates, it was reported that Zapeta had yet to be arraigned following his arrest on Sunday. This occurred only hours after police released images of a suspect in connection with her death. Police disclosed that three local high school students quickly called 911 after recognizing Zapeta from the images, leading officers to discover him on another subway train still wearing the same gray hoodie, wool hat, paint-splattered pants, and tan boots.
Furthermore, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that Zapeta is a citizen of Guatemala who reentered the U.S. illegally after having been deported back to Guatemala in 2018. The timeline of his re-entry, including when and where it occurred, remains unclear.
Records provided by law enforcement indicate that a Brooklyn address linked to Zapeta coincides with a service center for the organization Samaritan Daytop Village, which aids individuals with housing and substance abuse issues. The organization has yet to provide a comment regarding this matter.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez emphasized the seriousness of the situation in a statement, asserting, “We will do everything in our power to ensure accountability in this case.”
Regarding police presence in the subway system, New York City law enforcement is actively patrolling the subways and utilizes a comprehensive network of cameras across stations and subway cars.
However, the expansive structure of the subway — comprising 472 stations with various entry points and serving millions of passengers daily — creates significant challenges for effective policing.
On the day of the incident, police were present at the station but were patrolling a separate platform. They responded as soon as they noticed and smelled smoke rising from the fire.
Earlier this year, New York Governor Kathy Hochul instructed members of the state’s National Guard to assist with random bag inspections at selected subway stations.
As for crime trends within the subway system, while violent incidents can heighten anxiety among riders—especially given many New Yorkers utilize the train multiple times a day—overall crime rates have been reported lower this year compared to the same span in 2023.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s data indicates a 6% drop in major felonies from January through November of this year in comparison to last year.
However, murders within the transit system have seen an uptick, with nine reported this year through November, compared to five during the same period last year.
Moreover, notable incidents, such as the case involving Daniel Penny, a military veteran who was acquitted after choking a distressed subway passenger, have gained significant media attention and caused additional unease among commuters.
