Guatemalan charged with murder for setting woman on fire on NYC subway, entered U.S. illegally

An illegal Guatemalan immigrant on Monday was charged with the murder of a woman whom he allegedly set on fire while aboard a New York City subway this weekend.

The suspect has been identified as Sebastian Zapeta, 33, and he was charged Monday with first- and second-degree murder and arson, according to CBS News.

A senior U.S.official told Just the News that the man was an illegal immigrant from Guatemala who had already been deported once before under President Donald Trump.

The man first entered the country illegally in 2018 through the Arizona border and was deported days later. He later crossed over the border illegally again but it is not clear when he re-entered, the official said.

It is also not clear when Zapeta arrived in New York City, which has been a safe haven for illegal immigrants, but he was already staying at a Days Inn hotel in the city, which had been converted into a migrant shelter in April 2023.

Officials claim they are still working on a motive for the murder, which occurred on the F Train in Coney Island, Brooklyn. The woman has not been publicly identified so far. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.