NEW YORK — The man who is accused of setting fire to a woman on a New York City subway has been indicted on first- and second-degree murder charges as well as arson.
Sebastian Zapeta was indicted during a hearing on Friday, but was not in court at the time, CNN reported.
Police said Zapeta ignited the woman’s clothing while she slept on the F train as it approached Brooklyn’s Stillwell Avenue station on Sunday. Officials said he “fanned the flames” with a shirt.
He left the station after watching the woman burn, but was identified by teenagers who called 911 after New York City Police shared surveillance images, WPIX reported.
The woman, who was homeless, has not been identified, WNYW reported. The New York City Office of the Medical Examiner said the cause of her death was thermal injuries and smoke inhalation, classifying it as a homicide.
Zapeta was arraigned on Tuesday, but he did not enter a plea at that time. He did say that he didn’t know what happened, saying that he had consumed alcohol. He did identify himself in photos from the incident, CNN reported. Police said the woman and Zapeta did not know each other, WNYW reported.
Zapeta is from Guatemala and is considered undocumented. He was deported in 2018 but came back to the U.S. illegally according to federal immigration officials. His last known address was a homeless shelter for men with substance abuse issues, the NYPD said.
The subway incident was his first known arrest, CNN reported.
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