The alleged Brooklyn subway arsonist who burned a woman alive on a train car Sunday was arraigned Tuesday on first-degree murder charges at a hearing when even more disturbing details of the homicide were revealed.
Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, 33, appeared before a Brooklyn judge on Dec. 24, again wearing a Tyvek suit after his clothing was taken as evidence for the Dec. 22 murder of a still unidentified woman. As of Tuesday night, detectives are still working to identify the female victim police say was burned so severely she was beyond recognition.
According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, the medical examiner has determined that her cause of death was a result of both thermal injuries and smoke inhalation.
Additionally, prosecutors revealed what many who watched the viral video footage already knew: after Zapeta-Calil allegedly set the woman on fire using a lighter, he then used a shirt to fan the flames in order to keep the fire going.
He did not enter a plea during his arraignment.
“This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement.
Despite sources reporting that an ID to a homeless shelter was found in his pocket upon his arrest, the Department of Homeless Sources refused to confirm if he stayed in a shelter, citing privacy concerns.
However, ICE confirmed that Zapeta-Calil is an immigrant who entered the U.S. illegally, and had been previously detained and deported in June 2018 before again illegally reentering the country.
Zapeta-Calil was spotted by teens on a Manhattan train Sunday afternoon, several hours after he allegedly caused the fire on the F train at the Stillwell Avenue station in Coney Island that morning.
The NYPD has also come under heavy criticism after a video appeared to show a cop walking by the woman engulfed in flames and not immediately jumping into action.
NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta defended the cop’s actions.
“They were trying to get fire extinguishers. I commend that one officer for staying there — [making] sure he kept the crime scene the way it’s supposed to be, [making] sure he kept an eye on what was going on. So I think he did his job perfectly,” Chief Gulotta said.
Zapeta-Calil is charged with first and second-degree murder, and arson. He has been held without bail, and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without parole if convicted.
