Suspect in New York City subway fire killing charged with murder, arson

By Jonathan Allen

The man accused of killing a woman on a New York City subway train by setting her on fire was charged with murder and arson in an initial court appearance on Tuesday.

Sebastian Zapeta, a 33-year-old man who police say lives at a homeless shelter in Brooklyn, was charged with three counts in a criminal complaint at the Brooklyn criminal court: first-degree murder, second-degree murder and first-degree arson.

According to the police account, Zapeta used a lighter to ignite the clothes of a woman who appeared to be sleeping on a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station on Sunday.

He then used a shirt to fan the fire until the woman was engulfed in flames, the complaint said.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene after the fire was extinguished. The city's medical examiner said the cause of death was smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. Police are still working to identify her, according to the complaint.

During the arraignment, Judge Jung Park ordered that Zapeta be held in jail. He is due back in court on Friday where he is due to enter a plea.

All three crimes with which Zapeta is charged are felonies that carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Monday that Zapeta is a Guatemalan citizen who had entered the country unlawfully and that they would eventually bring removal proceedings against him.

A public defender representing Zapeta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.