Authorities revealed new disturbing details Thursday about the illegal migrant accused of burning a woman alive on a New York City subway.
Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, a 33-year-old foreign national from Guatemala, is facing first and second degree murder and arson charges over the death of a woman set ablaze on the F train in Brooklyn on Sunday. A new criminal complaint alleges that Zapeta-Calil set the woman’s clothes on fire with a lighter and intentionally fanned the flames by waving a shirt around her, according to CBS News.
The victim has yet to be identified, though a medical examiner’s office concluded that she died from smoke inhalation and from severe burns, CBS News reported. Authorities said the suspect did not know or have any interactions with the unidentified woman, who is referred to as Jane Doe, before the incident.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson Jeff Carter confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation Tuesday that the suspect is an illegal migrant who had previously been deported from the U.S. Carter said that border officials encountered Zapeta-Calil in Sonoita, Arizona, on June 1, 2018, and removed him from the U.S. back to Guatemala on June 7, 2018.
NEW: Per DHS sources, the suspect accused of burning a woman to death on a NYC subway is a Guatemalan illegal alien who was previously deported by the Trump administration and re-entered the U.S. illegally as a gotaway at an unknown time & location. I’m told he was arrested by… pic.twitter.com/bWkmwdwhOz
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) December 23, 2024
Police officers who were on patrol on the upper level began to investigate after they sensed smoke, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a Sunday press conference. As they approached the scene, officers found the woman in the train car completely engulfed in flames, and immediately rushed to put the fire out as soon as they could.
Bodycam footage found that Zapeta-Calil stayed at the scene and watched the events unfold as he kept a lighter in his pocket. Witnesses later identified the suspect to authorities, leading to his arrest.
During the press conference, the police commissioner referred to the incident as “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit.”
Zepeta-Calil appeared in court for his arraignment Tuesday and is due back in court Friday, according to CBS News.
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