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Illegal immigrant Sebastian Zapeta makes bizarre admission in defense for setting woman on fire on NYC subway
Sebastian Zapeta-Calil made a bizarre admission to officers after allegedly setting a woman on fire who died on the spot.
Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, a 33-year-old undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, made a bizarre admission to officers after allegedly setting a woman on fire who died on the spot. During the interrogation, he claimed that he was intoxicated during the horrific incident and was unable to recall putting a stranger on fire on a New York City train, as per NY POST.
Zapeta-Calil, according to the police, set the female passenger, whose identity has not been revealed yet, on fire. He then sat on a bench on a platform and silently watched her burn alive as she leaned on the carriage door.
He was detained soon after the incident, the law enforcement sources told the outlet. The police officials found a lighter in his pocket.
He was photographed on Monday afternoon leaving the NYPD 60th Precinct building on Coney Island.
In one dreadful video, the suspect can be seen stoking the fires as police officers passed by as other New Yorkers captured the carnage on their phones.
In 2018, the US deported Zapeta-Calil at the Arizona border after he entered the nation illegally, NY Post reported. It is yet to be known how he came back to the US.
Also Read: Elon Musk reacts to the tragedy of a woman set on fire in NYC subway by a deported immigrant
Police charged Zapeta-Calil with first- and second-degree murder
Addressing a press conference, NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that the responding officers were unaware of the suspect's presence at the time. The authorities have dubbed the incident as “brutal murder” and an example of “depraved behavior.”
The New York City Police Department has charged Zapeta-Calil with first- and second-degree murder and first-degree arson.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “The depravity of this horrific crime is beyond comprehension, and my office is committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice. This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences.”
Following a string of unsettling and sporadic attacks in recent years, the tragedy has escalated worries about safety and mayhem on the subway.
According to officials, the event did not harm any other passengers or first responders.
