The individual charged with incinerating a woman aboard a New York subway train has been formally indicted on charges of murder and arson.
Sebastian Zapeta stands accused of igniting the fire on a sleeping woman and subsequently exacerbating the situation by fanning the flames with a shirt, leading to her being fully consumed by the fire.
He reportedly seated himself on a platform at Brooklyn’s Coney Island station, facing the halted train, while observing her succumb to the flames.
Investigators are still in the process of determining the identity of the victim.
Zapeta, 33, faces one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and one count of first-degree arson.
Following a brief hearing where the indictment was disclosed, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez stated: “This was a heinous act. A sleeping and defenseless woman incorporated into our subway system.”
Mr. Gonzalez mentioned that law enforcement and medical experts are employing fingerprint analysis and advanced DNA methodologies to discover the identity of the victim while also tracing her movements leading to the murder.
“Our condolences extend not just to this victim, but we are aware that there are family members impacted,” he stated. “Just because an individual appears to be experiencing homelessness does not imply that there is not a family that will be shattered by the tragic manner in which she lost her life.”
Officers monitor the area where the woman tragically died. Pic: AP
Zapeta was previously charged with murder and arson in a criminal complaint filed earlier this week.
These initial charges often serve as a preliminary step in the criminal justice process since all felony cases in New York necessitate a grand jury indictment to advance to trial unless the accused opts to waive this requirement.
Zapeta was absent during the hearing. The gravest charge he is confronting carries a potential penalty of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and the indictment is set to be made public on January 7.
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Officials indicate that Zapeta is a Guatemalan national who unlawfully entered the United States after having been deported in 2018.
He was apprehended last Sunday after three children dialed 911 upon recognizing him from a photograph circulated by law enforcement.
During interrogation, prosecutors assert he claimed ignorance of the events but acknowledged his alcohol consumption, while also recognizing himself in images and videos depicting the fire being ignited.
