NEW YORK (Diya TV) — A man from Guatemala, who had been deported from the United States before, is charged with setting a woman on fire in a subway station, killing her, law enforcement officials said. The suspect, 33 year old Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, was able to re-enter the country after being deported and had been living in New York City’s shelter system for migrants.
The horrific incident occurred at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station on Sunday. Authorities said Calil allegedly set a sleeping woman on fire while she was waiting on a subway platform. Witnesses reported seeing the accused calmly watching as the woman burned before police arrived on the scene.
According to The New York Post, which referenced sources, Calil was first brought to the United States illegally at the Arizona border in 2018. He was apprehended shortly after that and was deported back to Guatemala. Calil is reportedly said to have crossed over again and eventually found shelter in one of the migrant facilities in New York City.
By April 2023, Calil had been residing at a Days Inn hotel on 36th Street, which had been repurposed as a migrant shelter. He subsequently transferred to a shelter on Randall’s Island, according to transit records. It was not clear how long he had been in the city before the subway attack; however, he had been receiving support from the shelter system of the city.
A video obtained by The New York Post shows the scene at the subway station, with police officers rushing to the fire and detaining Calil as he tried to walk away from the burning woman. He is in custody, and being held while the investigation continues.
The law enforcement officials have since waited for the autopsy to give a confirmation of the cause of death. The victim’s name has not been released yet
