A horrific incident, terrifying in its brutality and far-reaching in its implications, occurred recently in Brooklyn, New York. A woman was brutally set ablaze while on a subway train, and her life mercilessly extinguished, marking an unprecedented act of violence that has caused a stir on social media platforms.
The individual accused of this atrocious act is a former migrant from Guatemala, who had previously been expelled from the United States. This fact serves to once again fuel the intense debates around the sanctuary policies of New York City, established during the tenure of ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio. Many are now loudly clamoring for these policies to cease completely.
The suspect has been identified by authorities as Sebastian Zapeta, a 33-year-old male. Zapeta stands accused of both first-degree and second-degree murder, as well as arson, a heinous act of setting another human on fire.
Ironically, Zapeta was previously detained by Border Patrol after his illegal entry into Sonoita, Arizona, and was subsequently deported back to Guatemala in June 2018, as stated by Marie Ferguson, the spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. However, undeterred by this, Zapeta managed to unlawfully cross borders back into the U.S.
According to an editorial by the New York Post, it is high time that the sanctuary-city policies in New York City are eliminated. The editorial underlined that Zapeta exploited the policies that grant asylum, food, and other public assistances funded by taxpayers to migrants. Concurrently, these policies restrict the local police force from coordinating with ICE to deport even those migrants who commit new crimes.
Further elaborating, they highlighted how he capitalized on the opportunity where he could act out his desires with minimal regard for legal implications or fear of punishment. This chilling statement was a clear comment on the consequences of current policies and their potential for abuse.
The terrible incident was captured on surveillance cameras around the subway, providing a shocking account of the events. The footage shows Zapeta drawing near to the victim, a woman possibly asleep, on the stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station, before he proceeded to ignite her.
Retelling the incident, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch shared in a press conference held on Sunday night that, ‘As the train pulled into the station, the suspect calmly walked up to the victim,’ who was seated at the time of the incident. ‘Using what we suspect was a lighter, the suspect set the victim’s attire alight, which was quickly engulfed by flames.’
Rather than fleeing the scene, the suspect remained in the vicinity, seated on a bench just outside the particular train car. Meanwhile, officers and a transit worker managed to put out the fire. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, the woman was declared dead at the scene.
Thanks to the prompt actions of three quick-thinking high-school-aged New Yorkers who dialed 911, the suspect was apprehended just a few hours post the horrifying incident on the same subway line. Upon security check, a lighter was found in Zapeta’s possession, adding more evidence to the allegations.
Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams expressed his concern regarding the continuity of violent crimes by saying, ‘People are tired of the incessant sequence of violent crimes and want our streets safer… a sanctuary city should not serve as a safe haven for criminals.’ He empathically stated that violent individuals should not be allowed to stay within the country.
In a strong departure from conventional views, Mayor Adams is willing to oppose city leadership opinions in ensuring the safety of his constituents. He has committed to deporting migrant criminals from the city, another first for a big city mayor.
Before this unsettling event, Mayor Adams had noted a decrease in migrant arrivals over a 22-week period, leading to the shutting down of several migrant housing facilities. However, since 2022, New York City has received over 225,000 migrants, coinciding with a surge observed at the southern border.