An alleged migrant from Guatemala named Sebastin Zapeta reportedly set fire to a sleeping woman aboard the NYC Subway this Sunday. The incident allegedly took place on the F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station at around 7:30 a.m.
In images circulating online, the 33-year-old perpetrator can be seen clad in a sweatshirt with his hoodie on, with surveillance footage depicting him standing and witnessing the woman ablaze. The scene has since drawn outright rage from users online, with many calling for a harsh penalty. Here's how one user reacted:
"So he is the same guy who was just sitting there. Disgusting. Find him, execute him."
The comments didn't end there, as users expressed fury at the sight:
"I just noticed in the photo. That’s a walker. She was a sleeping old woman. AND HE SET HER ON FIRE! My blood pressure is too high. I’m done for the night," someone commented.
"Nah man. No death penalty. Let him spend his life in prison," another suggested.
"or maybe burn him like he burn an innocent woman," a third person demanded.
"Deport him to Antarctica for a period of not less than 1 year and nowhere near any outpost there," one more added.
Scores online chimed in with their penalty ideas, each one harsher than the next:
"Eye for an eye.. I'll donate gasoline," one user shared.
"SET HIM ABLAZE!" another declared.
"some crimes are so heinous that they deserve "an eye for an eye" punishment," yet another echoed.
"Blaming all immigrants for the actions of one man doesn't make sense. These are the actions of a single man, not a nebulous "immigrant" blob. You could just as easily say "He's a man, all men are criminals" by that logic. That's obviously an absurd statement. Same difference," one user penned.
Notably, the conversation began segueing into deportation and illegal immigrants living in the country.
NYC cops initially dismissed the person of interest as a mere civilian: Here's what we know
Fox News has reported that Sebastian Zapeta entered the country illegally in 2018, back when President-elect Trump was serving his first stint in office. The outlet further reports that while the alleged perpetrator has no criminal record in the state of New York, he does have one in Arizona. However, details about the same remain scarce.
Per the New York Post, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that the crime “took the life of an innocent New Yorker," noting that it is “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit.” The NYC official said at a press conference on Sunday:
"As the train pulled into the station, the suspect calmly walked up to the victim, who was in a seated position at the end of a subway car … and used what we believe to be a lighter to ignite the victim’s clothing, which became fully engulfed in a matter of seconds."
She revealed that NYC cops stationed in the area noticed the smell and sight of the smoke, only to find the woman on fire. While they managed to contain the fire, the woman died on the spot. In a video obtained by the outlet, the alleged suspect can be seen watching the woman from afar as he maintains his cool.
In one footage circulating on social media, NYC cops can be seen asking the massive crowds, Did anybody see anything? Did anybody see anything?” as smoke billows from inside the subway.
An NYC officer saw the person of interest sitting on a nearby bench and promptly asked him to leave. “Do me a favor. Walk down there,” he told him. “I need this space cleared up.” Zapeta immediately left.
“Unbeknownst to the officers who responded, the suspect had stayed on the scene and was seated on a bench on the platform just outside the train car,” Tisch said. “The body-worn cameras on the responding officers produced a very clear, detailed look at the killer.”
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Per Fox News, NYC police are calling on anyone with information about the woman's identity or about the incident to call it in on the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
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