A Migrant Arrested in Connection with Woman’s Mysterious Death on Brooklyn Subway
A 33-year-old man, identified as Sebastin Zapeta, was arrested in connection with the gruesome death of a woman who was set on fire and burned to death on a Brooklyn subway train in New York City.
The incident occurred on Sunday at the Stillwell Avenue Subway station in Coney Island, when the 33-year-old suspect entered the train and approached a female victim, who was asleep on a bench. According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the suspect used a lighter to ignite the victim’s clothing, causing the fire to engulf her in just a few seconds.
Tisch noted that the suspect remained on the scene, seated on a bench on the platform, while firefighters and responders arrived to extinguish the flames and rescue the victim, who was pronounced dead.
Zapeta was arrested after several high school students recognized his description from a released surveillance image and contacted police. He was found to be in possession of a lighter and has no prior arrests in New York City, although he had one prior arrest in Arizona.
According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, his thoughts are with the family of the victim in this “senseless killing,” and he committed to ensuring swift justice for all victims of violent crime.
Police believe the victim was sleeping on the train when the suspect approached and set her on fire. An MTA worker reportedly witnessed the incident, describing the victim’s clothes as “burnt off,” while another eyewitness described the scene as “crazy” and “messed up,” only three days before Christmas.