NEW YORK — A person faces first-degree homicide costs for allegedly setting a sleeping girl on fireplace on the New York City subway.
Sebastian Zapeta, 33, was charged Monday with first- and second-degree homicide and arson within the wake of the shocking crime on an F train in Coney Island, Brooklyn over the weekend, police mentioned.
Zapeta, who sources mentioned could possibly be arraigned Monday night, was taken into custody the day of the fireplace on the subway after police mentioned three youngsters acknowledged him from images launched by the NYPD. Police mentioned physique digicam footage and cameras contained in the subway automobiles noticed him sitting on the platform watching the lady burn to dying.
Zapeta is in New York illegally, based on immigration officers. He reentered the U.S. someday after being despatched again to Guatemala in 2018, they mentioned.
Woman set on fireplace on subway in Brooklyn
NYPD
Zapeta didn’t know the lady who was set on fireplace and there was no interplay between them earlier than the assault, based on investigators.
The unidentified girl was ignited whereas she was asleep on an F prepare at round 7:30 a.m. Sunday on the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station, police mentioned.
“The suspect used what we imagine to be a lighter to ignite the sufferer’s clothes, which grew to become totally engulfed in a matter of seconds,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch mentioned at a news conference Sunday evening.
Officers on the station smelled smoke and noticed her standing engulfed in flames contained in the subway automobile. With the assistance of a transit employee, they grabbed a fireplace extinguisher, however mentioned the lady died on the scene.
“Unbeknownst to the officers who responded, the suspect had stayed on the scene and was seated on a bench on the platform simply exterior the prepare automobile, and the physique worn cameras on the responding officers produced a really clear, detailed take a look at the killer,” Tisch mentioned. “Three highschool age New Yorkers known as 911 to say that they acknowledge the suspect. They noticed one thing they usually mentioned one thing, they usually did one thing.
After getting the tip, detectives mentioned they arrested Zapeta on the thirty fourth Street-Herald Square station just a few hours after the incident. He was carrying the identical garments because the particular person Tisch described and had a lighter in his pocket, officers mentioned.
U.S. immigration officers despatched suspect again to Guatemala in 2018
NYPD
Zapeta was handcuffed as officers walked him out of the sixtieth Precinct in Brooklyn on Monday. Police mentioned he lives at a shelter for males in East New York. The shelter didn’t instantly reply to CBS News New York’s request for remark.
According to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers, Zapeta is an “unlawfully current Guatemalan citizen who entered the United States with out admission by an immigration official” in 2018 and returned to Guatemala lower than per week later.
ICE officers mentioned they have no idea when or the place Zapeta reentered the U.S. and the company will launch an immigration detainer towards him with NYPD.
“The depravity of this horrific crime is past comprehension, and my workplace is dedicated to bringing the perpetrator to justice. This ugly and mindless act of violence towards a susceptible girl will probably be met with essentially the most severe penalties,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez mentioned in a press release. “Every New Yorker deserves to really feel protected on our subways, and we are going to do all the things in our energy to make sure accountability on this case.”
contributed to this report.
