Official announcements from federal authorities or court records

Sebastian Zapeta Charged with First-Degree Murder After Setting Woman on Fire in NYC Subway on December 22, 2024

Dec 26, 2024, 05:24 PM

A 33-year-old Guatemalan man, Sebastian Zapeta, has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and arson in connection with the death of a woman who was set on fire inside a Brooklyn subway train on December 22, 2024. Prosecutors allege that Zapeta fanned the flames with a shirt after igniting the fire. He reportedly told police he was intoxicated and could not remember the incident. Following his initial court appearance, he was ordered to remain in custody without bail. Mayor Eric Adams has urged federal authorities to pursue additional charges against Zapeta, who is in the U.S. illegally after being previously deported. The identity of the victim remains undisclosed, and a vigil is planned in her honor as the community seeks to remember her despite the lack of public identification. Zapeta is scheduled to appear in court again on December 29, 2024, as his attorneys prepare a potential insanity defense.