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Man arrested after woman killed in Brooklyn F train fire, police say
By
Giulia Heyward
and
Catalina Gonella
Published Dec 22, 2024
Modified Dec 23, 2024
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Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images
By
Giulia Heyward
and
Catalina Gonella
Published Dec 22, 2024
Modified Dec 23, 2024
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With help from the public, police arrested a person in the death of a woman who was lit on fire while aboard an F train in Brooklyn on Sunday morning, officials announced later that day.
Authorities said the man and victim were riding the same car as it pulled into the Stillwell Avenue station at the southern end of the line just before 7:30 a.m. when he "calmly" walked up to the motionless woman and used what they believe was a lighter to ignite her clothes, which became fully engulfed in a matter of seconds.
Police on Monday identified the man as 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta of Brooklyn, and charged him with murder in the first and second degrees, as well as arson. They have not identified the woman.
The fire spread through the train car at the terminal, according to photos reviewed by Gothamist. Officers patrolling the station saw and smelled the smoke, and with the help of an MTA employee, used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames.
Police said Sunday the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said three “high-school-aged” students had called 911 to report recognizing the suspect from images police had shared with the public earlier in the day. That led officers to spotting the man while riding the subway in Midtown Manhattan later Sunday evening, authorities said.
“Transit officers responded to that 911 call and also spotted the man wearing the same gray hoodie, distinct wool hat, paint splattered pants and tan boots already on another moving train,” Tisch said. “The person of interest also was found with a lighter in his pocket.”
MTA Chief Security Officer Michael Kemper said on-board video cameras allowed police detectives to work quickly to figure out what happened.
“It offered detectives immediate answers to questions that they had,” he said. “It offered them images of the perpetrator and allowed them to take those images and release them to the public, and allowed the public to see something and say something, and that's why we're standing here now reporting that an individual is in custody.”
NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta said the victim and person of interest didn’t interact at all prior to the crime, and police don’t believe they knew each other. The incident remains under investigation.
"This is amazing work done by the public and the police working together," Gulotta said. "Once again, someone saw something, we got it out through technology in numerous ways, and we're able to make a quick arrest on this nothing less than heinous crime that occurred in our subway system."
MTA officials said service on the F line was temporarily cut off to and from Stillwell Avenue following the fire. Service resumed by late Sunday afternoon, officials said.
This article has been updated with details of charges against Sebastian Zapeta announced Monday.
Tagged
new york city
public safety
transportation
brooklyn
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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Catalina Gonella
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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