A 33-year-old Guatemalan was charged with setting fire to a passenger who was sleeping on the New York subway. The woman died. Reuters reported that the suspect was in the United States illegally. He was deported in 2018 and it is unknown when he re-entered the US.
A sleeping passenger was set on fire on a New York subway train. The victim of the attack died of burns. The alleged perpetrator fled, but was quickly captured by the police in another metro train.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch explained that this shocking killing took place on the way to the terminus of the F line in Brooklyn.
READ MORE: Cruel death on the New York subway. The perpetrator was caught
The 33-year-old was charged
Sebastian Zapeta – a 33-year-old Guatemalan citizen – was arrested about six hours after setting fire to a sleeping woman's clothes with a lighter. The police stated that most likely the attacker and the victim did not know each other.
Reuters, citing police sources, reported that he was accused of murdering and setting fire to a woman in the subway.
“This heinous crime is beyond comprehension,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a defenseless woman will be met with the most serious consequences,” he said.
According to the US Department of Homeland Security, the Guatemalan entered the US without permission in 2018 and was deported to Guatemala a few days later. It is unknown when he illegally re-entered.
The department's statement added that deportation proceedings would be reopened once the suspect was released from custody in New York.
Main photo source: Reuters