Male who allegedly burned woman to death on subway train is illegal alien deported under Trump, feds say

The suspect who allegedly set a woman on fire on a New York City subway train and burned her to death is an illegal alien who had been deported during the administration of former President Donald Trump, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Police said they reviewed surveillance video of the incident, which took place at 7:30 a.m. Sunday. The suspect allegedly had no prior interaction with the woman before he calmly walked up to her, doused her in a liquid, and set her on fire. She died from her injuries. The male in question fled the scene, but police identified him as Sebastian Zapeta-Calil.

‘The depravity of this horrific crime is beyond comprehension.’

Terrifying video of the burning woman was widely circulated on social media, and many blamed the incident on a lack of law and order in New York City’s transit system.

A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Zapeta-Calil, 33, was a homeless illegal alien from Guatemala, having been detained in 2018 after crossing the border. He was deported but re-entered the U.S. at an unknown time.

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the victim “became fully engulfed in a matter of seconds” after the male set her clothing on fire with what appeared to be a lighter.

The suspect sat on a bench on the subway platform in front of the subway car as police attended to the woman, but officers didn’t realize the suspect was there at the time, Tisch said. They were able to identify him through images from officers’ body cameras and later arrested him without incident. Police said they found a lighter in his pocket.

Zapeta-Calil was charged with first-degree murder and arson.

“The depravity of this horrific crime is beyond comprehension, and my office is committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice,” read a statement from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. “This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences. Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe on our subways, and we will do everything in our power to ensure accountability in this case.”

Police have not yet identified the deceased victim.

You can view a video report here about the incident. A New York Post video shows a body bag containing the victim’s remains being carted out of the subway.

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