New York City police apprehended a suspect on Sunday in connection with the horrifying death of a woman who was set ablaze on an F train in Brooklyn. The incident, which occurred at approximately 7:30 a.m. at the Stillwell Avenue station, has sent shockwaves through the city, reigniting concerns about subway safety.
According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the suspect used a lighter to ignite the victim's clothing, which became "fully engulfed in a matter of seconds." The victim, initially thought to be asleep, was motionless at the time of the attack, and authorities believe she and the suspect were strangers. Surveillance footage from the subway car revealed the assailant calmly retreating to a bench on the platform to observe the fire as the victim stood and burned.
Police officers conducting routine patrols at the station noticed smoke and discovered the victim on fire. Emergency responders extinguished the flames, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta confirmed the suspect was found still at the station, captured on the body-worn cameras of responding officers. The footage was instrumental in identifying the assailant.
The suspect was arrested approximately eight hours later on a train in midtown Manhattan. Officers at the 34th Street-Herald Square station, near Macy's department store, secured the train and apprehended the individual without incident. The suspect was reportedly carrying a lighter in his pocket at the time of arrest.
The victim has not yet been identified, and the police are treating the case as a homicide. Mayor Eric Adams commended the public for assisting in identifying the suspect, stating, "This type of depraved behavior has no place in our subways. We are committed to working hard to ensure swift justice for all victims of violent crime."
The incident has reignited debates around subway safety, especially after New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced additional security measures earlier this month. Hochul's office reported that crime in the subway system has declined by 10% since May and 42% since January 2021. The governor has deployed 250 additional National Guard members to the city and outfitted all subway cars with surveillance cameras.
However, Hochul faced criticism on social media for a poorly timed statement celebrating subway safety improvements just hours after the tragic incident. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Hochul wrote, "Since deploying the @NationalGuardNY to support @NYPDnews and @MTA safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up."
Critics accused the governor of being out of touch. "You must have missed today's news," said Lori Mills, the vice chair of the Ventura County Republican Party.
Advocacy groups and political figures echoed the outrage. Melissa DeRosa, former secretary to Governor Andrew Cuomo, tweeted, "Two people were murdered in the subway today. The governor of the state of NY is a tourist who can't even bother to read a newspaper while she's in town."
The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Sebastin Zapeta, reportedly entered the U.S. from Guatemala approximately a year ago. It remains unclear whether his entry was legal. Fox News Digital has contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for additional information.
The subway incident follows a series of violent episodes that have left New Yorkers uneasy despite official reports of declining crime. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's chief security officer, Michael Kemper, emphasized the importance of surveillance technology, stating the "brutal murder" was captured by one of those cameras.
The city's subway system, often a refuge for homeless individuals during extreme weather, was under a "Code Blue" alert on Saturday night. Additional resources and shelters were deployed to assist those vulnerable to freezing temperatures.
