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In an unprecedented public attack that quickly spread across social media, a woman was lit on fire and burned to death on a subway train in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday. The suspect arrested in connection to her heinous death is a previously deported migrant from Guatemala, as calls to end New York City’s sanctuary policies enacted under former Mayor Bill de Blasio are escalating.
Sources previously identified the person of interest to Fox News Digital as Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who has been charged with first- and second-degree murder, as well as first-degree arson.
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Zapeta was apprehended by Border Patrol and subsequently deported by the Trump administration in June 2018 after he crossed illegally into Sonoita, Arizona, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson Marie Ferguson told Fox News, adding that Zapeta later re-entered the U.S. illegally.
SUSPECT ACCUSED OF BURNING WOMAN TO DEATH ON NYC SUBWAY IS PREVIOUSLY DEPORTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT
NYPD officers escort a suspect wanted for a homicide on the F Train in Coney Island from a precinct in Lower Manhattan on Sunday, Dececember 22, 2024.(Courtesy: G.N. Miller/New York Post)
“It’s beyond time to end sanctuary-city policies in New York,” the New York Post editorial board wrote, adding that Zapeta “re-enteredthe country and, at some point thereafter, headed for New York,where local policies guarantee shelter, food and other taxpayer-funded aid to migrantsand forbid cops from working with ICE to deport even the ones who commit new crimes.”
“In other words, he went where he’d be most able to do anything and everything he wanted, without much regard for the law or fear of consequences,” the board continued.
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Surveillance video of Sunday’s attack showed the suspect approaching 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 setting her on fire.
NYPD ARRESTS MIGRANT WHO ALLEGEDLY SET WOMAN ON FIRE ON SUBWAY TRAIN, WATCHED HER BURN TO DEATH
Police investigate at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station in Brooklyn after a woman aboard a subway car was set on fire and died in New York, United States on December 22, 2024. Police believe the woman had been sleeping aboard the train when a man approached her and set her on fire. She was pronounced dead at the scene.(Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“As the train pulled into the station, the suspect calmly walked up to the victim,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a press conference on Sunday evening, adding that the female victim was in a seated position. “The suspect used what we believe to be a lighter to ignite the victim’s clothing, which became fully engulfed in a matter of seconds.”
The suspect then stayed on the scene and sat on a bench just outside the train car, as officers and a transit worker extinguished the flames. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
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After three high school-aged New Yorkers called 911, the suspect was arrested just hours after the attack while riding on the same subway line. He was found with a lighter in his pocket, according to Tisch.
VENEZUELAN GANG MEMBERS LINKED TO VIOLENT APARTMENT TAKEOVER ARRESTED IN NEW YORK CITY
Police investigates the scene where a woman died after being lit on fire by a man aboard an MTA subway train as she slept at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York, United States on Sunday, December 22, 2024.(Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“People are tired of the revolving door where people are constantly committing violent crimes and back on our streets…it is not a safe haven for those who are committing criminal acts,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams told Fox News last week in a discussion about the city’s sanctuary policies. “Violent individuals should not remain in our country.”
Adams is the first big city mayor to sit down with incoming border czar Tom Homan against the wishes of his own city leaders, saying he will work with the Trump administration to deport migrant criminals from his city.
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This month and prior to Sunday’s attack, Adams said there has been a 22-week drop in migrant arrivals into New York City, allowing for the closure of many of the migrant shelters used for housing, though the city has seen more than 225,000 migrants arrive since 2022, a surge that coincided with a spike at the southern border.
BOSTON (WHDH) – Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum responded to the team’s shocking trade of forward Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, reflecting on the near decade they spent together in Boston.
Tatum posted a tribute to Brown on his Instagram story Friday afternoon, writing, “9 years! Forever grateful for all that we accomplished together, for pushing me to be a better player. From first round exits to winning a chip together I’m thankful for it all. Nothing but love and respect for you as a player and as a person! Looking forward to see how you attack this next chapter of your career and wish you nothing but the best for you! Continue to be special.”
The trade will become official Monday once the league-wide moratorium is lifted. The Celtics will welcome nine-time NBA All-Star Paul George, who they received from the 76ers, as well as new signings Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley Jr.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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We break down when Pittsburgh fireworks cross from fun into illegal
In Pennsylvania, it’s easier than ever to buy consumer fireworks, but using them inside Pittsburgh city limits is where the law tightens up.
In Pennsylvania, it’s easier than ever to buy consumer fireworks, but using them inside Pittsburgh city limits is where the law tightens up. For this week’s “Is It Legal?” series, the key distinction is that purchase and possession are generally allowed under state law, while where and how you launch them is restricted by local rules and safety regulations.
In Pittsburgh, residents can’t legally set off fireworks in public spaces like streets, sidewalks, parks or right-of-way areas. They’re also not supposed to launch them near buildings or vehicles, or in any way that directs fireworks toward people or property.
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In rowhouse neighborhoods and dense blocks, that effectively rules out most front yards, alleys and tight backyards, because they sit too close to homes and parked cars to meet the distance and safety requirements. On top of that, noise and nuisance ordinances can come into play, especially late at night, giving police grounds to respond when fireworks are reported as a disturbance or hazard.
Officials stress that fireworks are explosives, not toys, and point to common risks: injuries from misfires, fires on roofs or in yards, and the impact on pets, older neighbors and veterans with PTSD. That’s why they consistently urge residents to skip DIY backyard launches and attend permitted, professional shows instead, where licensed operators, fire crews and safety plans are already in place.
More: Is it legal? Boating rules on Pittsburgh’s three rivers
More: Is it legal? What boaters can and can’t do on Pittsburgh’s rivers
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More: Is it legal? Exploring ‘The Pittsburgh Left’
So, when viewers ask “Is it legal?” the answer is nuanced: Buying fireworks is broadly legal under state law, but setting them off in most Pittsburgh neighborhoods — especially in public spaces or close to buildings — is often not, and can quickly lead to citations or police visits rather than a celebration.
This article by Gabby Sartori was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.
The AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut is now available in a new vitola, one that also comes in a metal tube.
It’s the second different toro for the line, though it will be difficult to confuse the two cigars. The AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut Toro, the existing cigar, is a 6 1/4 x 52 box-pressed toro. The new AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut Tubo is a 6 x 52 round toro. Blend-wise, the line uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed wrapper over Nicaraguan tobaccos grown by AGANORSA. The line is made at the company’s factory in Nicaragua.
The AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut Tubo has an MSRP of $19.99 and comes in boxes of 10 cigars.
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“The Aniversario Connecticut Tubo offers a perfect combination of elegance, convenience, and flavor,” said Terence Reilly, vp of sales & marketing for AGANORSA Leaf, in a press release when the cigar was announced in March. “It’s an ideal cigar for both longtime fans of the brand and smokers discovering Aganorsa for the first time.”
Charlie Minato
I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. Previously, I started TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors blogs of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry since 2010, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. Beyond writing, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff from weighing cigars to coordinating the tech. Outside of work, I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.
