Man charged with murder after setting woman on fire in NYC subway

A 33-year-old man has been arraigned on murder charges after allegedly burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train. Sebastian Zapeta, a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally, was charged with two counts of murder—one for intentionally killing the woman and another for killing her while committing arson. He also faces one count of arson.

During his court appearance, Zapeta did not speak and was not required to enter a plea. He remains jailed at Rikers Island, with his next court date scheduled for Friday.

Prosecutors described the attack as a “gruesome and senseless act of violence.” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez vowed that the crime would be “met with the most serious consequences.” The horrific incident unfolded Sunday morning on an F train at the Coney Island station. Authorities say Zapeta approached the woman, who may have been asleep, and set her clothes on fire using a lighter. He then fanned the flames with a shirt, burning the woman alive, Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg said. Afterward, Zapeta sat on a subway platform bench and watched as the woman suffered, Rottenberg added.

Zapeta allegedly told detectives that he didn’t know what happened, despite being identified in images of the attack. His lawyer, public defender Andrew Friedman, did not comment after the arraignment. Shocking footage on social media showed bystanders, including a police officer, seemingly walking by while the woman burned inside the train.

NYPD Transit Chief Joseph Gulotta reported that officers responding to the smoke saw the woman fully engulfed in flames. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that the fire was eventually extinguished, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Zapeta was arrested Sunday afternoon after teenagers recognized him from police images while he was riding the same subway line. He had been deported in 2018 but reentered the U.S. illegally, according to federal immigration officials. A Brooklyn address released by police matches a shelter that provides housing and substance abuse support, though the shelter did not respond to requests for comment.

The brutal attack has amplified growing safety concerns among some New Yorkers, especially after video of the incident spread widely on social media. “It creeped me out real bad,” said Deandre Nelson, 22, while Collin Burroughs, 24, expressed sadness but said the attack did not affect his subway routine.

While overall crime in the transit system has decreased this year, major felonies fell 6% between January and November, murders have risen, with nine killings this year through November, up from five during the same period last year. The subway system’s complexity and vastness make policing difficult, as demonstrated by several high-profile incidents, including the September shooting of bystanders by police during an altercation with a man holding a knife.