NYC Subway Horror: Guatemalan Migrant Indicted For Setting Sleeping Woman On Fire
Date
12/27/2024 3:20:51 PM
(MENAFN- Live Mint) A Guatemalan migrant accused of burning a woman to death in a New York City subway train has been indicted on charges of murder and arson, Brooklyn prosecutors announced on Friday (December 27). Sebastian Zapeta, 33, is alleged to have set the woman on fire aboard a stopped F train at Coney Island station on Sunday morning.
According to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, Zapeta lit the woman on fire while she was asleep, then used a shirt to fan the flames , causing the victim to be engulfed in fire. He then sat on a nearby bench and watched as she burned. Authorities say Zapeta remained on the platform as the woman succumbed to the flames.
Zapeta , a Guatemalan national who is in the US illegally, was arrested on Sunday (December 22) after being identified in photos and surveillance video. During questioning, he reportedly claimed not to know what had occurred but admitted to consuming alcohol. Zapeta has been charged with multiple counts of murder and arson. The most serious charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. The indictment will be unsealed on January 7.
Prosecutors are continuing to work to identify the woman, believed to have been homeless. Investigators are using fingerprints and advanced DNA techniques to confirm her identity.
Also Read | Man who set ablaze sleeping woman on NYC Subway 'fanned flames with shirt', says
Zapeta's attorney declined to comment after the hearing, and he was not present for the court session. Meanwhile, Brooklyn officials emphasized the impact of the crime on the victim's family, despite her apparent homelessness.“Just because someone appears to have been living in the situation of homelessness does not mean that there's not going to be family devastated by the tragic way she lost her life,” Gonzalez said.
Also Read | Mass deportation calls ring louder after illegal migrant burns woman alive in US
Zapeta had been previously deported in 2018 but reportedly reentered the US illegally. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has directed law enforcement to explore additional federal charges under the arson statute, in collaboration with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Zapeta is facing significant criminal charges, with the potential for a lengthy sentence if convicted.
(With AP inputs)
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