Man charged with murder after woman set fire to F train in Brooklyn

On By Littum

Police have charged the man they said set a woman on fire aboard an F train in Brooklyn Sunday morning, killing her.

Sebastian Zapeta, 33, was charged with first and second degree murder, as well as arson. Police said he lived in East New York at an address on Forbell Avenue. The address appears to be associated with a substance abuse treatment facility.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Monday that Zapeta was a Guatemalan citizen in the United States illegally after receiving an expedited removal order in Arizona in 2018 and returning to the United States without authorization at an unknown time since. ICE — which identified the suspect as Sebastian Zapeta-Calil — said it planned to file an immigration detainer with the NYPD.

Police have not yet released any information about the woman who was killed in the incident.

Authorities said earlier Sunday that Zapeta — whose name they had not yet released at the time — and the woman were riding in the same car when it pulled into the Stillwell Avenue station. They said the man “calmly” walked up to the woman and used what they believed to be a lighter to set her clothes on fire. Images reviewed by Gothamist showed the fire spreading throughout the train car.

“The depravity of this horrific crime is unfathomable, and my office is committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement Monday. “This horrific 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 Manhattan subway, authorities said.

— Includes reporting by Giulia Heyward and Catalina Gonella