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Horrific video shows ‘evil’ Guatemalan immigrant calmly watching woman burn to death after setting her ablaze

A video showing the most horrific events in the history of the New York City subway has gone viral on social media.

Published on: Dec 23, 2024, 15:29:24 IST
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A video showing the most horrific events in the history of the New York City subway has gone viral on social media. On Sunday morning, a man on a F train set on fire a sleeping female passenger at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue stop. The women died as a result of the attack, which shocked both officials and commuters.

Guatemalan immigrant, who was arrested for the alleged crime, was captured calmly seeing the victim charred to death, shocking other passengers on the train. (X)
Guatemalan immigrant, who was arrested for the alleged crime, was captured calmly seeing the victim charred to death, shocking other passengers on the train. (X)

Guatemalan immigrant, who was arrested for the alleged crime, was captured calmly seeing the victim charred to death, shocking other passengers on the train. Suspect Sebastian Zapeta, 33, came to the US in 2018.

NYPD Commissioner holds press conference

During the press conference, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the incident “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit.”

“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,” Tisch told the New York Post.

According to the commissioner, patrolling police officers detected the smoke and followed it to the woman wrapped in flames. She died on the spot, despite the fact that the officers were able to put out the fire.

Also Read: Who is Sebastian Zapeta? Guatemala migrant set a woman on fire on New York City subway

Suspect calmly watched woman burn to death

In the terrifying video, the culprit can be seen quietly watching the woman burn to death inside the open subway car door. As smoke billowed from the subway car, officers yelled to ask the crowd, “Did anybody see anything? Did anybody see anything?”

The suspect was spotted sitting on a nearby bench during the commotion while police officers clustered together. One of them approached the hooded victim and said, “Do me a favour? Walk down there. I need this space cleared up.”

The man stood up from the bench and evaded the police.

Speaking about it, Tisch stated, “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.”

“The body-worn cameras on the responding officers produced a very clear, detailed look at the killer,” the NYDP Commissioner added.

Netizens react to the video

Meanwhile, the video garnered over 1.2 million views on X, drawing the attention of netizens who expressed rage as well as prayed for the soul of the victim.

“Evil,” one user wrote, referring to the suspect.

“Immigration status?” another asked.

“Why is somebody just watching and someone is just videoing? Seriously, nobody tries to help? What?” a third user expressed concern, while the fourth one said, “These people need to be in jail.”

  • Shweta Kukreti
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shweta Kukreti

    Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More