WARNING: This article contains disturbing details and videos of an incident in New York City that some readers may find upsetting.
(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Democratic officials in the state of New York are facing scrutiny after a Guatemalan national was arrested for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway station on Sunday morning.
The suspect, identified as Sebastian Zapeta, reportedly threw a match on a sleeping subway rider around 7:30 a.m. on an F train in Brooklyn, New York. According to the New York Post, Zapeta entered the U.S. in 2018, though his immigration status is unclear.
SUSPECT IN CUSTODY – HE IS AN ILLEGAL MIGRANT: The suspect accused of setting a woman on fire in the NYC subway is Sebastian Zapeta. He is an illegal migrant from Guatemala. He sat on a bench and watched his victim burn alive.
WE NEED MASS DEPORTATIONS! pic.twitter.com/PPtSLGJAOn
— NYScanner (@nyscanner) December 22, 2024
Disturbing video footage of the incident, captured by security cameras and bystanders, shows the woman engulfed in flames. At one point, the suspect calmly sat on a bench, observing the woman burn.
A patrolling officer noticed the fire as the train pulled into the station and asked the suspect to move away, according to the New York Post.
However, the officer did not realize the man would be questioned for the crime, according to New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
The victim died on the scene despite law enforcement extinguishing the fire, Tisch said in a press conference.
Hey @RepJeffries @JustinBrannan apparently a woman was set on fire earlier today in the NYC subway in your district. She died.
Do you have any comment or plan to prevent future incidents like this?pic.twitter.com/0yhfBGZPvx
— Reza Chowdhury (@RezaC1) December 22, 2024
“As the train pulled into the station, the suspect calmly walked up to the victim, who was in a seated position at the end of a subway car … and used what we believe to be a lighter to ignite the victim’s clothing, which became fully engulfed in a matter of seconds,” 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,” the NYPD commissioner added. “The body-worn cameras on the responding officers produced a very clear, detailed look at the killer.”
The suspect fled the scene but was later identified inside another train by high schoolers, who alerted law enforcement.
The arrest of Sebastian Zapeta, the "person of interest" in the immolation of a woman at the Coney Island-Stillwell Ave. subway station this morning. pic.twitter.com/2KtlyYxeje
— Crime In NYC (@CrimeInNYC) December 23, 2024
“I want to thank the young people who called 911 to help,” Tisch remarked. “They saw something, and they said something, and they did something.”
Law enforcement officials do not believe the suspect and the victim knew each other. The woman’s identity remains unknown.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was slammed on social media after she boasted about higher security on subways: “In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day.”
Great timing, Kathy.
A woman just got burned alive on the subway by a monster who looks like Biden just imported into America.
Truly awful governor. https://t.co/43IqkKrcFl
— 🇺🇸 Mike Davis 🇺🇸 (@mrddmia) December 22, 2024
In another post, Hochul shared an ad featuring videos of her thanking officers inside train stations. “This holiday season, we’re hard at work for you. More money in your pockets. Safer streets and subways. A stronger New York State,” she wrote.
This holiday season, we're hard at work for you.
More money in your pockets.
Safer streets and subways.
A stronger New York State.
Take a look: pic.twitter.com/97UyfT3QsK
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) December 22, 2024
The Sunday incident occurred less than a month after Marine veteran Daniel Penny, described as a “hero,” was acquitted of charges tied to the death of Jordan Neely, a homeless man who allegedly threatened subway riders.
Penny intervened and put Neely in a chokehold. Neely was later declared dead. A jury ruled that Penny did not commit a criminal offense in restraining the man.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was criticized for bringing charges against Penny instead of prioritizing the prosecution of criminals running rampant in New York City.
During an interview with Fox News after he was found not guilty, Daniel Penny stood by his conviction, stating that he doesn’t care if people hated him for protecting a person from these violent lunatics in the subway.
“I’ll take a million court appearances, and people calling… pic.twitter.com/ioJ0gLkulO
— Zaki Solja (@zakisolja) December 22, 2024
