A man has been charged with murder in connection with the death of a woman who was set on fire on a subway train in New York.
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Sebastian Zapeta, who has been confirmed as an illegal alien from Guatemala and re-entered the country after being deported, was charged on Monday with first- and second-degree murder, as well as arson, in connection with the attack.
Surveillance video showed the Zapeta calmly approach the woman, who was sitting motionless and may have been sleeping, while aboard a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station and then set her on fire with a lighter.
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*WARNING GRAPHIC VIDEO*
GRAPHIC: Heart-wrenching images of a New York woman burned alive in the subway—a horrific act committed by a Guatemalan man. The tragedy has shocked the city, leaving an indelible mark of pain and outrage. pic.twitter.com/frsp4YJf3f
The man then sat on a nearby bench outside the train car and watched as officers and a transit worker extinguished the flames. The woman was found by police engulfed in flames on the F train at Coney Island-Stillwell Ave station.
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According to NBC News, police were able to capture Zapeta’s image and share it widely shortly after he lit her on fire. He was apprehended while riding the same subway line just a few hours later after being identified by teens. He was found with a lighter in his pocket.