Sebastian Zapeta faces first-degree murder charges for allegedly setting a homeless woman on fire in a Brooklyn subway train
He was indicted on first-degree murder charges, which is serious stuff. If found guilty, he could spend life in prison without parole. The whole thing happened on a Sunday morning at the Coney Island-Stillwell Ave. station.
The Brooklyn District Attorney, Eric Gonzalez, said they have strong evidence against him. He described the act as intentional and malicious, targeting a vulnerable person. It’s heartbreaking to think about.
They haven’t officially identified the victim yet, but they’re working hard to find out who she was. The police are using advanced fingerprinting and DNA matching to help figure it out.
Zapeta, who’s from Guatemala, was living in a men’s shelter before this incident. He didn’t even show up for his court appearance when the charges were read.
According to the prosecutors, he used a lighter to set the woman on fire and then fanned the flames with a shirt. It’s just chilling to think about how he sat there watching as she struggled.
Luckily, some high school kids spotted him on another train and called the cops. They managed to arrest him pretty quickly. When they caught him, he claimed he had been drinking and didn’t remember what happened.
This isn’t his first run-in with the law either. He was previously deported back to Guatemala but somehow made his way back to the U.S.
The DA wants to keep the case in state court because the charges are more serious there. Zapeta is set to appear in court again on January 7 for the murder charge. It’s a tough situation all around, and it’s hard to believe something like this could happen.
