Suspect identified in the killing of woman set on fire on New York subway | The Independent
Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
UK Edition Change US EditionAsia EditionEdición en Español
Sign up to our newslettersSubscribe nowLog in / Register
Independent Christmas Amex
NewsNewsUKUSWorldUK PoliticsBrexitHealthBusinessMoneyScienceSpaceNews Videos
SportSportFootballParis 2024 OlympicsFormula 1Rugby UnionCricketTennisBoxingUFCCyclingGolfSport Videos
CultureCultureFilmTV & RadioMusicGamesBooksArtPhotographyTheatre & DanceCulture Videos
LifestyleLifestyleShoppingBeautyFitness & WellbeingTechFood & DrinkFashionLove & SexWomenHealth & FamiliesRoyal FamilyMotoringElectric VehiclesCar Insurance DealsLifestyle Videos
IndyBestIndyBestHome & GardenTechBroadband dealsFashion & BeautyDealsFood & DrinkKidsBooksTravel & OutdoorsSports & Fitness
TravelTravelHotel ReviewsNews & AdviceSimon CalderCruisesUKEuropeUSAAsiaAustralia & New ZealandSouth AmericaC.
PremiumPolitics ExplainedEditorialsVoicesLong ReadsNews AnalysisToday’s Edition
ClimateNewsClimate 100Electric VehiclesVoicesSustainable LivingExplainedClimate VideosSolar PanelsSGI
TVBehind The HeadlinesOn The GroundDecomplicatedYou Ask The QuestionsBinge WatchMusic BoxLove LivesTravel SmartWatch on your TV
Today’s EditionCrosswords & PuzzlesMost CommentedNewslettersAsk Me AnythingVirtual EventsWine OffersVouchersIndy100Betting SitesCasino Sites
Thank you for registering
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in
Suspect identified in the killing of woman set on fire on New York subway
Crime Commissioner Jessica Tisch said attacker committed ‘one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being’
Mike Bediganin New York
, Katie HawkinsonMonday 23 December 2024 20:17 GMT
Independent Premium
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Woman dies after being set on fire on New York City subway
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.
Police have named the man arrested for allegedly setting fire to a woman while she was sleeping in a New YorkCity subwaycar.
The incident occurred on Sunday morning at around 7.30 a.m.
when the unidentified victim was asleep on board a stationary F trainat the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station.
Hours later, police arrested 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, officials announced Monday.
Zapeta-Calil silently approached the woman and lit her on fire using a lighter, police say.
He then left the train and sat on the platform to watch as she burned and ultimately died, according to police.
Body camera footage from the responding officers helped identify him.
Police have yet to release the identity of the victim.
“Unbeknownst to the officers who responded, the suspect had stayed on the scene and was seated on a bench on the platform just outside the train car, and the body-worn cameras on the responding officers produced a very clear detailed look at the killer,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
Sebastian Zapeta-Calil was taken into custody after a woman was set on fire on a New York subway car (NYPD)
Border patrol agents first found Zapeta-Calil in Sonoita, Arizona, in June 2018, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson Jeff Carter told CNN.
Agents then served him with an expedited removal and and he was sent to Guatemala six days later, Carter told the outlet.
However, the 33-year-old later unlawfully re-entered the US, according to Carter.
Authorities don’t yet know when and where he re-entered the US.
Tisch described the incident as “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being.”
The was “fully engulfed in a matter of seconds,” Tisch said.
Officers had been alerted by smoke and extinguished the flames with the help of a MTA employee.
Graphic footage of the incident circulated on social media appeared to show fire coming out of the car while horrified bystanders looked on.
The incident occurred aboard an F train at Coney Island-Stilwell subway station on Sunday morning (FNTV)
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders.
She was found with liquor bottles surrounding her, though it was not immediately clear if they played any part in the fire, sources told the New York Post.
An MTA worker told the outlet that it looked like the woman’s clothes were completely “burned off.”
The NYPD released a photo of the Zapeta-Calil on Sunday.
They initially described him as a male between 25 and 30 years old, approximately five foot six, and weighs 150 pounds.
They said he was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, dark-colored knitted hat with a red stripe, and brown boots.
Zapeta-Calil was taken into custody as a person of interest after police received a tip off from three New York high school students who recognized the description and called 911, Tisch said.
Zapeta-Calil was apprehended after three New York high school students recognized the description and contacted the NYPD (NYPD)
He was confirmed to be on a moving train, which was stopped after police radioed ahead and walked from car to car to find him.
He was also found with a lighter in his pocket.
“I want to thank the young people who called 911 to help,” Tisch said.
“They saw something, and they said something and they did something.
This is another example of great technology and even greater, old fashioned police work with a huge assist from the public.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams also praised the bystanders who alerted police about the suspect.
“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,” Adams wrote in an Xpost.
Sponsored Features
Thank you for registering
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in