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Police have charged the man they said lit a woman on fire aboard an F train in Brooklyn on Sunday morning, killing her.
Sebastian Zapeta, 33, was charged with murder in the first and second degrees, as well as arson. Police said he was living in East New York at an address on Forbell Avenue. The address appears to be associated with a substance abuse treatment facility.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement said Monday Zapeta was a Guatemalan citizen in the United States illegally, having been served with an expedited removal order in Arizona in 2018, and having returned to the United States without authorization at some unknown time since. ICE — which identified the suspect by the name Sebastian Zapeta-Calil — said it planned to lodge an immigration detainer with the NYPD.
Police still haven’t released any information about the woman killed in the incident.
Authorities previously said Sunday that Zapeta — whose name they hadn’t yet released at the time — and the woman were riding the same car as it pulled into the Stillwell Avenue station. They said the man “calmly” walked up to the woman and used what they believed was a lighter to set her clothes on fire. Photos reviewed by Gothamist showed the fire spread through the train car.
“The depravity of this horrific crime is beyond comprehension, and my office is committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement on Monday. “This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences. 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.”
Authorities said three students called 911 after recognizing the man from images police had shared with the public from on-board video cameras. Police later recognized the man riding the subway in Manhattan, authorities said.
Contributed reporting by Giulia Heyward and Catalina Gonella.
