New York Governor Kathy Hochul is under fire for a social media post touting improved subway safety just hours after an illegal immigrant allegedly set a woman on fire, resulting in her death.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday morning in Brooklyn, has sparked outrage from critics who accuse Hochul of being tone-deaf and failing to address public safety concerns adequately.
At approximately 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, a woman seated on a subway train at the Stillwell Avenue Subway station in Coney Island was set on fire.
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The attacker allegedly used a lighter to ignite her clothing, which became fully engulfed in flames within seconds.
According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene after the flames were extinguished by officers and an MTA employee using a fire extinguisher.
The suspect, identified by sources as 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, is reportedly an illegal immigrant from Guatemala who entered the U.S. during President Trump’s first term in 2018.
He has no prior arrests in New York City but has one prior arrest in Arizona, according to an NYPD source.
Zapeta was found with a lighter in his pocket and is currently in police custody.
Just eight hours after the tragic event, Governor Hochul posted on X (formerly Twitter) about her efforts to improve subway safety.
She highlighted her deployment of 750 National Guard members to the subway system and the addition of cameras to all subway cars, claiming these measures have led to a decrease in crime and an increase in ridership.
“In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day,” Hochul wrote. “Since deploying the @NationalGuardNY to support @NYPDnews and @MTA safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up.”
In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day.
Since deploying the @NationalGuardNY to support @NYPDnews and @MTA safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up. pic.twitter.com/T7uRxx9nIO
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) December 22, 2024
Later that evening, Hochul posted again, stating, “Any subway crime is one too many,” and praising the NYPD for their quick response to the fatal incident.
Make no mistake: any crime is one too many, even with subway crime going down.
We are continuing to surge personnel and resources to make our subways safer.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) December 22, 2024
Tom Homan, President-elect Trump’s incoming border czar and former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), criticized Hochul during an appearance on Fox & Friends.
“Governor Hochul, shame on you. There’s nothing you can say that’s going to make this right in New York,” Homan said, pointing to the Democratic governor’s support for sanctuary policies in the state.
Homan also blamed the Biden administration for what he described as lax immigration enforcement, which he argued allows criminal aliens to remain in the U.S.
“Here’s another example of an illegal alien killing an American citizen. It’s almost a daily occurrence now, because a historic number of criminal aliens are walking the streets due to this administration’s policy in sanctuary jurisdictions and lax immigration enforcement,” he said.
He added, “ICE has their hands tied. Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas has given them priorities so they can’t even go arrest illegal aliens anymore unless they’re convicted of a serious crime, then maybe they can arrest them, so this is on this administration.”
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The fatal attack and Hochul’s subsequent posts have drawn widespread criticism from residents and political figures alike, with many calling for stricter immigration policies and a reassessment of public safety strategies.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and city officials are now investigating the incident, and local authorities are expected to provide updates as more information becomes available.
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