Suspect charged in gruesome burning of woman on NYC subway

A 33-year-old Guatemalan citizen was charged with murder and arson on Monday after allegedly lighting a woman on fire and watching her burn to death on a New York City subway train over the weekend, police and federal officials said.

Sebastian Zapeta was arrested about six hours after police say he used a lighter to ignite the clothes of a woman who appeared to be dozing on a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station in Brooklyn.

On Monday, he was charged with murder and arson, police said.

The suspect entered the United States without authorisation in 2018 and was deported to Guatemala a few days later. It was unclear when he unlawfully re-entered, the US Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

Police said there appeared to have been no prior interaction between the assailant, a Brooklyn man, and the victim, who has not been identified.

Zapeta is in custody and it was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer. He was arrested on a subway train on Sunday afternoon and had a lighter in his pocket, police said. He was due to appear in court to face charges on Monday or Tuesday.

Subway workers and police officers who had been patrolling the station used fire extinguishers to extinguish the flames that engulfed the woman, who was declared dead at the scene.

"The depravity of this horrific crime is beyond comprehension, and my office is committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. "This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences."

The Department of Homeland Security statement said it would pursue removal proceedings again whenever Zapeta is released from New York custody, which could include a lengthy prison sentence if he is convicted.