A Guatemalan migrant, Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, has been charged with murder and arson by New York City police in connection with the death of a woman who was burnt alive inside a subway train early on Sunday morning.
The 33-year-old man was detained on Monday after being placed under arrest the day before. Later, the suspect admitted to authorities that he didn’t remember the attack.
According to immigration officials, Zapeta, a Guatemalan national, was previously deported and lacked authorization to enter the United States.
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Police said a suspect was apprehended with a lighter in his pocket
According to authorities, the attack happened around 7:30 a.m. on an F train that was arriving at the Stillwell Avenue stop in Brooklyn.
The surveillance footage saw a guy calmly approaching the unnamed woman at Brooklyn’s Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station before setting her on fire.
When the attack occurred, the woman was seated and seemed to be dependent on a walker for mobility. The eerie pictures show the walker.
As the fire grew and reached the roof of the subway vehicle, other camera footage seemed to show Zapeta-Calil trying to fan the flames with a T-shirt or similar object.
Despite efforts to put out the fire, EMS declared her dead on the spot. After the attack, Zapata was swiftly taken into custody by police after high school students identified him from security footage.
He was safely taken into custody after being discovered seated on a bench close to the train. They found a lighter in his possession.
The New York City Police Department has accused Zapeta-Calil of first- and second-degree murder and first-degree arson.
In a statement, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez declared, “The depravity of this horrific crime is beyond comprehension, and my office is committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice. This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences”.
Who was the woman set on fire in the subway?
The victim was identified as 29-year-old Amelia Carter in social media posts that went viral on Monday.
However, the police stated that they had not yet located the woman and did not disclose her identification.
After numerous social media users voiced their displeasure with X’s Chatbot Grok, saying that the victim’s name was Amelia Carter, a picture of Amelia Carter became viral on X.
People posted comments stating that the widely shared image of Amelia Carter was artificial intelligence (AI) created. Given that her name is still unclear, the authorities are looking into the possibility that the victim was homeless.
Is the subway a crime hot spot?
People are frequently agitated by violent subway episodes, partly because many New Yorkers ride the train several times a day and have personal stories of awkward encounters there.
In general, compared to the same period in 2023, there is less crime in the city transit system this year. Between January and November of this year and 2023, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s data indicates a 6% decrease in what it refers to as significant offenses.
The number of homicides in the transit system has also increased, rising from five last year to nine this year through November.
Passengers are further unnerved by high-profile occurrences on the train, such as the case of Daniel Penny, a war veteran who choked an enraged New York subway commuter and was acquitted of homicide this month. These incidents frequently garner national attention.
Eric Gonzalez, the Brooklyn district attorney, criticized the subway attack in a statement. “Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe on our subways, and we will do everything in our power to ensure accountability in this case. I commend the NYPD for their swift work in apprehending the suspect.”
Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, commended the individuals who assisted in bringing the suspect to the attention of the authorities on Sunday.
