The Guatemalan migrant, accused of setting a subway rider on fire and watching as she burned to death, was earlier deported but later returned to the United States and entered New York City's shelter system, according to a report.
Sebastin Zapeta, who has yet to be formally charged, first crossed the Arizona border illegally in 2018 and was arrested within days and sent back to Guatemala. However, he managed to enter the country once again, evading federal authorities and eventually making his way to New York City. It remains unclear how long he had been in the city before Sunday's horrifying attack on the F train, according to the sources.
Horrifying Details Emerge
What is known is that by April 2023, Zapeta was living at a Days Inn hotel on 36th Street, which had been repurposed into a migrant shelter—one of four taxpayer-funded facilities in the city, according to a New York Times report.
When issued a transit ticket in 2023, Zapeta reportedly listed a Randall's Island shelter as his address, according to sources, the outlet reported.
On Sunday, police reported that Zapeta was at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station, calmly watching a sleeping passenger he is accused of setting ablaze, as she apparently burned to death.
Dramatic footage obtained by The New York Post captures officers rushing to the scene engulfed in flames, while the migrant suspect stood up and attempted to walk away.
However, police arrested him soon after the incident as he attempted to flee. According to law enforcement sources, the undocumented suspect is currently detained while awaiting the victim's autopsy results.
Brooklyn prosecutors are now waiting to determine if the fire was the direct cause of the woman's death, a finding that could lead to murder charges against the suspect.
"The depravity of this horrific crime is beyond comprehension, and my office is committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice," DA Eric Gonzalez said in a statement.
"This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences," the statement went on. "Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe on our subways, and we will do everything in our power to ensure accountability in this case."
Watching Her Burn to Death
Disturbing video footage captured the suspect standing calmly and watching as the flames consumed the unidentified woman, who was positioned near the open doors of the subway car.
A transit officer passed by, appeared to use their radio to report something, and then proceeded along the platform. After the officer walked past, the suspect stood up as if preparing to leave, but the video ended shortly afterward.
In a separate clip, officers could be heard shouting to the crowd that had gathered, "Did anyone see anything? Did anybody see anything?" as smoke continued to billow from the subway car.
Meanwhile, the suspect boldly remained seated on a nearby bench, pulling his hood up at one point as police gathered around. An officer eventually addressed him, saying, "Can you do me a favor? Walk down there," gesturing further along the platform with his radio. "I need this space cleared up."
The man then rose from the bench and walked away from the scene.
"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," Tisch said.
"The body-worn cameras on the responding officers produced a very clear, detailed look at the killer."
Zapeta was arrested while riding a train at the 34th Street station in Manhattan. According to the New York Post, three high school students spotted the suspected killer at the station and flagged down the police.
When transit officers arrived, they found the suspect already on board another train, still dressed in the same gray hoodie, wool hat, and paint-splattered pants he was reportedly wearing when he set the woman on fire.
Cops coordinated to stop the train at Herald Square, then searched each car until they located and apprehended the suspect, according to officials. Tisch added that a lighter was found in the suspect's pocket at the time of his arrest.
Investigators believe the suspect didn't know the victim. Police sources revealed that the suspect entered the United States in June 2018, where he was detained by border patrol agents in Arizona. As of now, authorities have not found any prior criminal history for Zapeta in New York City.
Officials are still working to determine the suspect's legal status in the country.
