A 33-year-old Guatemalan citizen was charged with homicide and arson on Monday after allegedly lighting a girl on hearth and watching her burn to loss of life on a New York Metropolis subway practice over the weekend, police and federal officers mentioned.
Sebastian Zapeta was arrested about six hours after police say he used a lighter to ignite the garments of a girl who seemed to be dozing on a stationary F practice on the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station in Brooklyn.
On Monday, he was charged with homicide and arson, police mentioned.
The suspect entered the U.S. with out authorization in 2018 and was deported to Guatemala just a few days later. It was unclear when he unlawfully re-entered, the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety mentioned in an announcement.
Police mentioned there appeared to have been no prior interplay between the assailant, a Brooklyn man, and the sufferer, who has not been recognized.
Zapeta is in custody and it was not instantly clear if he had a lawyer. He was arrested on a subway practice on Sunday afternoon and had a lighter in his pocket, police mentioned. He was as a consequence of seem in court docket to face expenses on Monday or Tuesday.
Subway employees and cops who had been patrolling the station used hearth extinguishers to extinguish the flames that engulfed the lady, who was declared useless on the scene.
“The depravity of this horrific crime is past comprehension, and my workplace is dedicated to bringing the perpetrator to justice,” Brooklyn District Lawyer Eric Gonzalez mentioned in an announcement. “This grotesque and mindless act of violence in opposition to a weak girl shall be met with essentially the most severe penalties.”
The Division of Homeland Safety assertion mentioned it will pursue elimination proceedings once more at any time when Zapeta is launched from New York custody, which may embrace a prolonged jail sentence if he’s convicted.
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