Man Charged in Fatal Subway Fire Faces Murder and Arson Charges

Sebastian Zapeta, a Guatemalan national previously deported from the U.S., is accused of setting a woman on fire in a Brooklyn subway station in a seemingly random attack.

Sebastian Zapeta, 33, faces charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and arson after allegedly setting a woman on fire on a New York City subway on Sunday, December 22.
Prosecutors allege Zapeta used a lighter to ignite the victim's clothing and fanned the flames with a shirt before sitting on a bench to watch as the woman burned to death.
The victim, who remains unidentified, was found engulfed in flames on an F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station; she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Zapeta, a Guatemalan citizen who was deported in 2018, reportedly reentered the U.S. illegally at an unknown time and location; his immigration status has drawn scrutiny in political discussions.
The attack has heightened concerns about subway safety in New York City, despite overall declines in transit crime, as high-profile incidents continue to unsettle residents.