A horrific incident on a New York City subway has left a woman dead and an illegal immigrant facing murder and arson charges.
33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the death of a woman who was set on fire inside an F train on Saturday morning.
According to police, Zapeta and the victim, who were not known to each other, were both riding the train to the Stillwell Avenue station in Coney Island. As the train reached the end of the line, Zapeta allegedly approached the seated woman and set her clothing ablaze using a lighter.
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“Officers who were on patrol on an upper level of that station smelled and saw smoke and went to investigate. What they saw was a person standing inside the train car fully engulfed in flames,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Zapeta reportedly remained at the station, sitting on a bench outside the train car where the incident occurred. He was later identified by three high school students who saw his image from police body camera footage and called 911.
Zapeta, a Guatemalan citizen, had previously been deported from the U.S. in 2018 after illegally entering Arizona. It is unclear when or how he re-entered the country.
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During his initial court appearance on Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg stated that Zapeta admitted to setting the woman’s clothing on fire and fanning the flames. Zapeta’s defense attorney claimed that he had been consuming alcohol and did not recall the incident.
Zapeta has been charged with arson and first- and second-degree murder. He is being held without bail and is due back in court on Friday.
This tragic incident has shocked the nation and raised concerns about safety on public transportation. The investigation is ongoing.
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