Suspect indicted for murder, arson in subway burning death

Sebastian Zapeta, age 33, has been indicted on numerous murder charges in addition to an arson charge, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Friday.  The defendant, who is presumed innocent until proven guilty faces up to life in prison.

Gonzalez spoke to reporters after a court hearing for the case. He described the murder as maliciously targeting a vulnerable and sleeping woman on the subway system. Prosecutors accuse Zapeta of setting fire to and killing the woman early Sunday morning. 

Who was the victim? The woman, who authorities still had not identified on Friday afternoon, was thought to have been homeless at the time of the attack. DNA evidence and advanced fingerprinting techniques were being employed in an attempt to identify her, Gonzalez said.  Members of the Crisis Action Center, a social justice organization, held a vigil Thursday night to honor the woman.

The New York City Office of the Medical Examiner classified the victim’s death as a homicide resulting from smoke inhalation and what it called thermal injuries. Zapeta said during an earlier court appearance that he did not know or remember the incident. He is expected to plead not guilty. 

Several news agencies including the Associated Press have reported that Zapeta is a Guatemalan national who was in the United States illegally.

How have officials responded to the murder? New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Friday called on federal prosecutors to take up the case and directed the New York City Police Department to work with Homeland Security officials. The suspect could be tried by both the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District. A federal charge of arson resulting in death carries a sentence of up to life in prison.