A migrant from Guatemala has been arrested in connection with the shocking death of a woman who was set on fire and burned to death on a subway train in Brooklyn, New York.
🚨 #BREAKING: The man who set an innocent woman on fire on the New York Subway, Sebastian Zapeta, is a recent “MIGRANT” from Guatemala
The Biden regime REFUSED to deport him, and an innocent woman lost her life as a result.
MASS DEPORTATIONS NOW! pic.twitter.com/hldNzVMz4r
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 22, 2024
Celebrate Trump’s Historic 2024 Victory with the Exclusive Trump 47th President Collection!
The incident occurred early Sunday morning at the Stillwell Avenue Subway station in Coney Island.
Authorities identified the person of interest as 33-year-old Sebastin Zapeta, according to sources speaking with Fox News Digital.
Zapeta reportedly entered the United States illegally from Guatemala in 2018, during President Donald Trump’s first term.
A high-ranking NYPD source revealed that Zapeta has no prior arrests in New York City but has one previous arrest in Arizona.
Details about the Arizona arrest remain unclear.
The horrifying crime unfolded around 7:30 a.m. as the subway train arrived at the station.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the incident during a Sunday evening press conference. “As the train pulled into the station, the suspect calmly walked up to the victim,” she explained.
The victim, a woman who was seated, was doused with a flammable substance, and the suspect ignited her clothing using what police believe was a lighter. Within seconds, her clothing was engulfed in flames.
Officers patrolling the subway station noticed smoke and rushed to the scene, where they found the victim fully engulfed in flames inside the train car.
With the assistance of a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) employee, the fire was extinguished using a fire extinguisher, but the woman succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
NEW: Woman sleeping on a New York City subway burned alive by a man who lit a match and threw it on her, according to the New York Post.
“Animal” is too nice of a word to describe someone who would do this.
Police have since released a photo of the suspect.
Investigators say… pic.twitter.com/lOnOaQV8vL
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 22, 2024
The suspect did not flee and remained seated on a bench on the subway platform outside the train car.
Body-worn cameras worn by responding officers provided detailed footage of the suspect, aiding in the investigation.
A significant break in the case came when three high school students recognized the suspect from images released by police.
They called 911 to report their sighting, prompting transit officers to intercept a train where the suspect was spotted.
At the next station, officers boarded the train and arrested the individual without incident.
A lighter was reportedly found in his possession.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams addressed the tragedy in a statement, offering condolences to the victim’s family. “Grateful to the young New Yorkers and transit officers who stepped up to help our NYPD make a quick arrest following this morning’s heinous and deadly subway attack,” Adams wrote.
“This type of depraved behavior has no place in our subways, and we are committed to working hard to ensure there is swift justice for all victims of violent crime.”
The incident has left New Yorkers reeling just days before Christmas.
Witnesses at the scene expressed their shock and horror.
According to the New York Post, an MTA employee said the woman’s clothing appeared completely burned off. “I was just walking by. The police were there already. I didn’t see her in flames, but that’s what I heard,” the employee said.
Police are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The investigation remains ongoing, and no charges had been formally filed as of Sunday evening.
Two hours ago, Kathy Hochul took a victory lap for making subways “safer.” She congratulates herself on the same day two subway riders were stabbed in Queens (one in the face and one in the chest) and another was barbarically burned alive.
Has there ever been a more tone-deaf… pic.twitter.com/KIPujqpKa3
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) December 22, 2024
.
