A ‘migrant’ from Guatemala has been arrested for killing a woman by setting her on fire as she slept inside a subway car in New York City this weekend, according to reports.
The shocking attack unfolded at around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday morning at Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn.
“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,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch explained during a press conference on Sunday afternoon.
Tisch called the killing “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit.”
Footage captured by multiple witnesses has been circulating on social media.
WARNING: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC CONTENT
🚨#BREAKING: NY Law enforcement officials report that Sebastian Zapeta, a 25-year-old Hispanic male from Guatemala, who is accused of setting a sleeping female subway rider on fire and watching her burn to death, has been arrested and taken into custody. pic.twitter.com/M5o2srNXi3
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) December 22, 2024
A person wearing clothing that appears to match that of the suspect can be seen sitting on the platform, watching the victim as she fights for her life.
Another video appears to show the suspect fanning the flames with a towel or article of clothing.
A new video emerges of the lady who was set on fire today in Coney Island Brooklyn.
— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) December 23, 2024
It appears the suspect, in this case, got up and started fanning the fire to keep the fire going .
Jeez! pic.twitter.com/7XqtjLdsjt
Images of the suspect quickly began circulating on social media, one of which was reportedly captured by an NYPD officer’s body cam when he encountered the man at the scene, unaware of his possible connection to the fire.
BREAKING: Suspect image released after a woman was BURNED to death, fully engulfed in flames, while sleeping on NYC Subway on F Train in Coney Island this morning l, after a person threw a lit match at her. She was found with liquor bottles around her. Investigation is ongoing.… pic.twitter.com/3y6LovxrCH
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) December 22, 2024
It is alleged that this man was responsible for setting the woman on fire on the F line. This incident is now being treated as a homicide investigation by the NYPD. Please help the NYPD find this individual! @RezaC1 @RalphSpeedy @CollinRugg @CrimeInNYC https://t.co/Qef6jqBPQS pic.twitter.com/DifuiYI3LJ
— Jonathan Eli (@EJonatha4766004) December 22, 2024
Hours later, a group of high schoolers alerted NYPD that they had seen a man matching the suspect’s description at another station in the city.
Transit police tracked the suspect onto another train and order it halted at Herald Square in Manhattan, at which point they searched cars until they found him.
A witness uploaded footage of his apprehension to social media.
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
The suspect was identified as 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, a Colombian national who arrived in the U.S. in 2018 under undisclosed circumstances, officials told the New York Post.
Zapeta’s immigration status remains unclear at this time.
This article was originally published at InfoWars.com
