New York
\nA man has been charged with murder and arson in New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train, leading to her death, police announced Monday.
\nThe suspect, identified as 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, was arrested hours after the incident, which occurred Sunday morning at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station in Brooklyn.
\nAccording to the New York City Police Department, surveillance footage captured Zapeta approaching the woman, who appeared to be sleeping on a stationary F train. He allegedly set her clothing on fire, and the flames quickly engulfed her.
\nJessica Tisch, the New York City police commissioner, described the scene as horrific, stating, \u201cThe woman\u2019s clothing became fully engulfed in a matter of seconds.\u201d Tisch added, \u201cThis is one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being.\u201d
\nPolice reported that Zapeta remained at the scene, watching the woman burn from a bench on the subway platform as officers and a transit worker worked to extinguish the flames. The woman, whose identity has not yet been released, was pronounced dead at the scene.
\nZapeta, a Guatemalan citizen, had been previously removed from the United States in 2018, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE spokesperson Jeff Carter confirmed that Zapeta reentered the U.S. illegally, though the time and location of his reentry remain unclear.
\nHe was found riding the same subway line where the incident occurred.
\nBrooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez condemned the act in a statement, calling it \u201cbeyond comprehension.\u201d Gonzalez said, \u201cThe depravity of this horrific crime is beyond comprehension, and my office is committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice. This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences.\u201d
\nAs of Monday, it was unclear if Zapeta had legal representation or when he would be arraigned.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New York A man has been charged with murder and arson in New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train, leading to her death, police announced Monday. The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, was arrested hours after the incident, which occurred Sunday morning at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":451504,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-451492","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n