In a horrific incident at Brooklyn’s Stillwell Avenue Subway station in Coney Island, a woman died after being set on fire. The suspect, identified as Sebastian Zapeta, a 33-year-old Guatemalan migrant, allegedly threw a lit match at the victim while she was sitting on the subway train.
Security personnel at the station responded after detecting smoke and its odor coming from the train car. By the time MTA employees extinguished the fire using a fire extinguisher, the victim had already succumbed to her injuries.
Zapeta remained at the scene after the attack and was found sitting on a bench outside the train car. Station officers’ body cameras captured his presence. Later, school students spotted him on another train, recognizing him from widely circulated descriptions and images. Police subsequently arrested him on a Manhattan-bound train at 34th Street, where he was wearing the same clothes as during the incident. A lighter was found in his possession.
Who is Sebastian Zapeta?
According to authorities, Zapeta entered the United States through Arizona in 2018. Officials are currently verifying his immigration status. The victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, was reportedly surrounded by liquor bottles in the subway car when the attack occurred.
A video of the incident circulating on social media shows the suspect throwing a lit match at the woman and watching as flames engulfed her. An MTA employee at the scene later reported that the lights were turned off to shield the aftermath from public view.
This attack adds to a series of recent violent incidents on New York City’s subway system, contradicting Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent statements about improved subway safety. The NYPD has scheduled a press conference to provide further details about the ongoing investigation, including potential motives and the suspect’s background.
